Police are appealing for witnesses in the shooting incident at the Northbound Terminal in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City, on Friday, March 12, that killed a relative of convicted drug lord Jose Kim “Boy” Cuadra.
Maj. Richard Fajarito, Police Station 3 chief, said they have no witnesses and suspects yet on the killing of Lino Cuadra, 62, of Purok Sigay, Barangay 2.
Cuadra was supposed to meet a female friend at the terminal when he was waylaid and shot by unidentified suspects who were on board a red Toyota Innova.
“We’re having a hard time in our investigation because we have no witnesses, unless they will surface so we can identify the gunman,” Fajarito said.
He said that the victim was a “close relative” of Boy Cuadra, whose son Gerald was gunned down at B.S. Aquino Drive in May 2020.
Fajarito said that Lino Cuadra was not included in the police drugs watchlist, although his son, Lino III, was arrested for drugs in 2019.
“We have no information that he was into illegal activities,” although they are still validating some of the claims against the victim, he said.
Recovered from the crime scene were 22 empty cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol, eight fired bullets, and two deformed slugs.
Fajarito said that the suspects could have been following the victim.
“The execution was well-planned,” he added.
He said they were able to get footage from a closed-circuit television in the area, but the faces of the suspects were not clear since it was dark and raining.
The number of assailants who boarded the getaway vehicle was also not seen in the CCTV footage.*