Lt. Col. Sherlock Gabana and lawyer Lyzander Dilag discuss the killings in Bacolod City at a press conference in Bacolod City on Friday, June 17.*
Another person was killed in a drug related incident Thursday night, June 16, bringing the shooting incidents in Bacolod City to six this month.
Many Bacolod residents are alarmed by the spate of violence that has occurred in Bacolod City in the last few days, the incoming Benitez administration is committed to do whatever it can to strengthen the capabilities of the Bacolod police in the maintenance of peace and order and crime prevention, lawyer Lyzander “Bong” Dilag, spokesperson of mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez said at a press conference Friday, June 17.
Adonis Alabado Matulac, 54, was on board a scooter at Lacson Extension in Purok Hollow Blocks, Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, when he was shot and killed by a gunman on board a white Ford Ranger at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Lt. Col. Sherlock Gabana, Bacolod police spokesperson, said at the press conference .
The victim sustained gunshot wounds on the left side of his forehead.
The motive for the killing was a disagreement involving an illegal drugs transaction, Gabana said.
The police have identified the suspect but cannot divulge his name as pursuit operations are still ongoing, he added.
Gabana said from June 1 to June 16 there have been six shooting incidents in Bacolod City with five deaths.
Five of the cases are under investigation, and one has been solved.
Persons of interest have been identified in three of the five cases, he said.
Conflict with relatives due to a property dispute has been identified as the motive for the killing of businessman Jeffrey Keng Seng on Tuesday, June 14, he said.
The other shooting victims were utility worker Rene Mateo, 44, on June 5, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group asset Jose Allan Braza, 59, on June 8, and Jestoni Sabare, 30, who was identified as a drug personality on June 11, Gabana said.
Bacolod is still a safe place to live in, the killings were not interrelated, they were isolated cases, Gabana said.
The Bacolod Police Office is committed to ensure the safety of every person in the city, he said.
He urged the public to report the presence of suspicious looking persons to the police. The police needs the cooperation of everyone, Gabana said.
BENITEZ HELP
Benitez has committed to provide 100 more force multipliers to augment policemen at the 10 Bacolod police stations, more gasoline to maximize patrols and police visibility, and additional CCTVs at major streets and alleys to be connected to a command center as a deterrent to crime, Gabana said.
The mayor-elect has also committed to provide legal assistance to policemen facing harassment or work related cases, improved communication equipment, and a motorpool for repair of police vehicles, he said.
Benitez has not assumed office yet but is already taking active moves to break new ground in terms of supporting the police, Dilag said.*