Bizman shot dead in Roxas City

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — A businessman was shot dead Friday morning, Nov. 21, while overseeing work at his establishment on Premier de Mayo Street in Barangay IX, Roxas City.

Rogelio “Nonoy” Buaron, 60, a resident of Poblacion Ilaya, Panay, Capiz, died while being taken to St. Anthony College Hospital by his bodyguard in a pickup.

Police Lt. Col. Ricardo Jomuad Jr., Roxas City police chief, said Buaron was standing in front of his under-construction establishment with his bodyguard at around 7:55 a.m. when two unidentified suspects on a white Honda Click motorcycle approached from behind and shot him several times at close range.

The suspects, both wearing helmets and bonnets, came from Pavia Street and fled toward Barangay Cagay after the attack.

Buaron, who was wearing a yellow T-shirt, sustained three fatal gunshot wounds to the back that exited through his chest, along with an additional wound to his leg.

Police recovered seven empty .45-caliber shells from the crime scene.

A witness known as “Toto,” one of Buaron’s employees, said he did not recall anyone who may have held a grudge against the victim.

Police are conducting a hot pursuit operation to track down the suspects.

Investigators are looking into three possible motives: personal, business-related, and political.

Buaron, a known businessman, frequently visited an establishment in Barangay IX that had been robbed twice.

He previously ran for mayor of Panay town in the 2016 elections but lost, and he owned the Dream Palace Hotel in Poblacion Ilaya.

He was also involved in Small Town Lottery operations as a “bookish,” a local term referring to individuals who collect bets for STL operators.

Police said they are reviewing CCTV footage, ballistic evidence, and witness statements to identify the suspects and prepare charges for filing in court.