Gunmen on bikes strike down another ‘drug personality’ in Jaro

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Before the Jaro Police Station in Iloilo City could solve the killing of a hog trader over the weekend, another murder perpetrated by riding-in-tandem gunmen happened morning of Dec 15, 2020.

The victim, Elizer Galon, 31, of Barangay Tanza-Esperanza, City Proper district, Iloilo City, was repeatedly shot while outside a motorcycle shop at McArthur, Barangay M.V. Hechanova, Jaro.

And it appeared that both Edranil Umadhay, the man who was killed on Dec 13, and Galon have one thing in common: both were drug personalities.

Captain Mark Anthony Gesulga, Jaro police chief, said the victim had just finished his transaction at the Suzuki Motors when two motorcycle-riding men who were both wearing crash helmets and jackets approached him.

Based on a CCTV camera footage, Galon was standing near his motorcycle when the back rider alighted from the motorcycle and immediately pumped a bullet into the suspect.

When the victim fell to the ground, the gunman again shot him.

The suspects then sped off towards Barangay Tagbac, Jaro.

Jaro police who were in a nearby village immediately responded and rushed Galon to the West Visayas State University Medical Center.

But Galon succumbed to gunshot wounds on his head.

Gesulga said they could not ascertain for now if the men who killed Umadhay are the same persons who gunned down Galon.

“We’re still comparing the footages we gathered from the CCTV cameras in the area,” he said.

But initial reports said that in both instances, the suspects could have used a Yamaha Mio motorcycle.

 

DRUG LINKS

Umadhay, 54, a resident of M.H. del Pilar St., Jaro district, was shot dead around 5:45 am of Dec 13.

Police accounts said that the victim, together with his 17-year-old, was driving his top down tricycle when two motorcycle-riding men tailed them along Don Delfin St., Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro.

Witnesses said the suspects were wearing a face mask, cap, and black jacket.

Just like in the case of Galon, the back rider also shot Umadhay thrice.

Umadhay was arrested in a police anti-narcotics operation in 2007. He was released from incarceration after his case was dismissed in 2012.

He even served as barangay kagawad for two terms.

Umadhay again ran for office but lost in the last election.

He worked as a bodyguard of former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog for about a year.

Meanwhile, Galon was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation at Barangay Sto. Niño, Arevalo district in 2015.

He was recently released from jail after availing of the plea-bargaining agreement.

 

WHERE’S THE MASCO?

The two murder incidents perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects happened a week after Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) Brigadier General Rolando Miranda declared that the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) will strengthen its campaign after riding-in-tandem or motorcycle-riding suspect.

Miranda said he wanted a more focused effort to counter the acts of motorcycle-riding suspects (MRS), especially those in the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, the two highly urbanized cities in Western Visayas.

Currently, PRO-6 has Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operating (MASCO) teams, which are deployed to respond to incidents involving motorcycle-riding suspects, other crimes and even emergencies.

It was gathered that from January to November 2020, a total of 90 crimes were committed by motorcycle-riding suspects.

Of the 90 cases, 43 are murder, 20 are physical injuries, 15 are robbery cases, 7 are theft cases, 3 are rape and 2 are motornapping.