Cops probe three motives in Bacolod gun attack

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Police are investigating three possible motives behind the gun attack that killed a man and wounded his younger brother in Purok Active, Barangay Mandalagan, on Monday.

Police Capt. Rondyl Tapang, head of Police Station 3, said the angles include illegal drugs, personal grudge, and a third party, though he withheld further details as the investigation is ongoing.

Tapang said the drug angle emerged after the 41-year-old survivor told police they had come from a pot session before heading home that morning.

As to personal grudge, he noted the brothers figured in a commotion with parking attendants in the Libertad area in August, during which threats were allegedly made.

On the third-party angle, Tapang said investigators are still coordinating with the victims’ family to verify any link.

He stressed that none of the motives are conclusive yet, but police already have leads and persons of interest.

Authorities are backtracking closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to trace the victims’ movements before the shooting and the route of the motorcycle-riding suspects.

Tapang added that cybercrime investigators are analyzing communications on the victims’ cellphones to help identify the perpetrators.

Asked if the suspects were hired gunmen, Tapang said he could not confirm but acknowledged the possibility.

He said the firearm recovered from the 41-year-old victim, who sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the back, is being examined to determine if it was used in other crimes.

Tapang said the loose firearm was reportedly kept by the victim for protection against threats.

The two siblings were riding home when they were ambushed, and the younger brother remains confined at a hospital.