Illegal drugs eyed behind bizman’s slay

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police are looking into illegal drugs as a possible motive behind the killing of a businessman in Barangay Tangub here last Wednesday.

Police Major Joery Puerto, head of Police Station 8, said that 53-year-old Jerry Gasendo of Barangay 40 here, was shot by two unidentified “gun-for-hire” perpetrators on a motorcycle.

Gasendo, who owns a palabok eatery here, was also riding his motorcycle when he was attacked.

“Pinasahi abi kay gadalagan sila pareho pero igo tanan sa ulo ang apat ka lupok. Maayo sa pusil ang gunman,” Puerto said.

Puerto said that Gasendo was linked to illegal drugs after his name floated following the arrest of Mary Nessa Ong who allegedly yielded P680,000 worth of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Taculing here on Oct. 27.

Ong allegedly told the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU)-6 that Gasendo was her source of illegal drugs.

Upon verification, Puerto said Gasendo was also on the drugs watchlist of RPDEU-6 and Police Station 6.

Puerto said they are also considering the possibility of a failed illegal drug transaction as one of the possible angles in the killing.

Puerto said that his two children have no idea about the alleged link of their father to illegal drugs.

His two children also added that their father had no enemies, the station commander said.

Meanwhile, batchmates of Gasendo at Education and Training Center School (ETCS)-I here, in a statement, said they strongly condemn the brutal murder of their friend.

“We demand that his death will not be another statistic in the countless unsolved assassination we’ve had in Bacolod which just lends impunity to these murderers to go on a rampage and commit extrajudicial killings,” Batch 81 said.

Gasendo’s batchmates said that he will always be remembered as a good friend, an artist, and a great dad to his children.

They pray for strength for his family members to weather this tragedy and also request the public to respect the grief that they are going through.

“It does not matter whether the man led a life as meek as a sheep or perhaps just lived off on a trade that teeters on utmost risk and danger. None of these justify killing,” they said.

They called for a speedy resolution to this murder and to haul in the perpetrators so that justice will be served.