Man who was found dead in Antique was from Iloilo

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Police have identified a man who was summarily executed and later buried in San Jose, Antique.

Major Benjo Clarite, San Jose police chief, confirmed that the body is that of Jerry Molina Bolivar, 48, a resident of Barangay Bakhaw, Manduriao, Iloilo City.

Bolivar’s identity was confirmed after his family went to San Jose town on Sept 10, 2020.

Bolivar’s body was exhumed around 8 am on Sept 8, around six hours after a resident claimed to have heard gunfire in the area.

Clarite said the family was at a loss how Bolivar ended in Antique province since the last time he was alive, he told them that he was going to Passi City.

While he was not publicly named earlier, reports indicated that the victim was a relative of Ernesto “Erning” Bolivar, a fugitive and regarded as Western Visayas’ top drug personality.

But the victim’s family claimed they are not related to Erning Bolivar.

Jerry, though, had some “links” to illegal drugs.

Clarite said the victim was incarcerated in Iloilo for six years for a drug-related offense.

He later spent another six years at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. He was released in December 2019.

The victim suffered at least six gunshot injuries on his head and body. His legs were also hogtied when he was recovered from a six-foot grave.

Police investigators believed that he was shot to death near the grave.