No suspects yet in slay try on DPWH official

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

The Sta. Barbara Police Station in Iloilo has no leads on the probable suspects and motive behind the assassination attempt on a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official.

But Major Raymond Celoso, Sta. Barbara Police Chief, said they could not take these “persons of interest” in custody as what they have are circumstantial evidence.

“For now, there are no evidence directly linking the suspect to the crime,” Celoso said.

It can be noted that Ma. Eva Bedonia, 54, of Hedriana Street, Pavia, Iloilo, and Rogelio Serilo. 38, of Barangay Cabilauan, New Lucena, Iloilo, were on board the service vehicle of the DPWH-Iloilo 4th Division Engineering Office located at Barangay Bolong Oeste, Sta. Barbara, when two motorcycle-riding men sprayed them with bullets morning of January 18, 2021.

Bedonia, the chief of DPWH division’s Quality Assurance Section, was seated on the front seat of the vehicle driven by Serilo.

They were unscathed as the bullets did not go through the vehicle’s door.

While Bedonia might be a key worker of the said department, Celoso said their investigation pointed to personal grudges as motive for the incident.

“The principal suspect could have hired killers to liquidate Bedonia,” he said.

Even earlier, Bedonia hinted at personal grudge, as the most probable motive.

A few years back, she claimed to have received threats over a land dispute.