MYSTERY MURDERS: Riding-in-tandem killings in city remain unsolved

CASES of motorcycle-riding assassination in Iloilo City remain unsolved.

Sr. Supt. Martin Defensor, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) officer-in-charge, expressed worries that such cases would end up as statistics.

After Defensor assumed post on Sept 12, he met with the officers in charge of three killings involving motorcycle-riding gunmen.

“So far, there have been no new information and testimonies that were gathered relevant to the case,” Defensor said.

The investigators have been receiving text messages about the case but no one wanted to give a testimony.

“Ang worry ko nga ay baka mapabilang sya sa statistics,” he added.

Witnesses have also found it hard to identify the suspects since they were masked.

But all is still not lost as Defensor said he plans to create an ad hoc team to conduct parallel investigation on these motorcycle-riding killings.

The team will be led by Supt. Godfrey Buslotan, ICPO deputy city director for administration.

The ad hoc team is expected to focus only on solving the three riding-in-tandem incidents hoping that they could gather fresh perspectives on the investigation.

Prior to assuming post as ICPO chief, Defensor said solving killings involving motorcycle-riding gunmen would be one of his top priorities.

After all, that’s what his marching order from Supt. John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police chief, on top of the continuing campaign against illegal drugs.

“He told me to manage these incidents bago pa lumaki,” Defensor said.

A few days before he assumed the ICPO top post, three incidents involving motorcycle-riding gunmen were recorded On Sept. 7, two Tokhang surrenderees were killed in a span of 10 hours.

Both Rolando Puda and Don Azucena were killed by riding-in-tandem gunmen.

Azucena, 39, was killed by still unidentified men at Barangay Calumpang, Molo, Iloilo City at around 9:25 a.m. when an armed man repeatedly shot him.

He died on the scene from multiple gunshot injuries on the body and head.

Meanwhile, Puda, 41, was killed near his house at Barangay Ingore, La Paz.

Four days later, a tricycle driver was killed at around 5:00 p.m. at Barangay Tacas, Jaro District.

Gerardo Mamarion, 25, was peppered with bullets several meters away from their house

All three incidents were perpetrated even in the presence of several witnesses and bystanders.

Police claimed that Mamarion was into shabu peddling.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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