[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’GUNMEN KILL 2 DRUG SUSPECTS ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – Two men with links to illegal drugs were killed some two hours apart in Molo district early morning yesterday. The suspects in the two murders were motorcycle-riding gunmen.
The 35-year-old Mark Mallon of Barangay South San Jose, Molo died of multiple gunshot wounds. He was a suspected subgroup leader of slain drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr., according to the police.
The shooting happened around 5:30 a.m. Mallon was drinking his early morning coffee by the roadside outside his house.
Around 7:20 a.m. or some two hours after Mallon was shot, an itinerant fish vendor was sprayed with bullets by armed motorcycle-riding gunmen at Imperial Subdivision, Barangay North Fundidor, Molo.
The 26-year-old Leonel Capanang of Barangay Dulonan, Arevalo district died of multiple gunshot wounds at The Medical City.
The Molo police could not yet say for certain yesterday if the two killings were related.
Two motorcycle-riding gunmen stopped next to Mallon, peppered him with bullets then left quickly, according to Senior Inspector Mark Cordero, Molo police chief.
Concerned citizens of the barangay rushed Mallon to the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital where he died.
As of this writing, the Molo police did not have any suspect.
The motorcycle of Mallon’s assassins did not have a plate number, according to the police, citing statements from witnesses.
A .9mm pistol was used on Mallon.
A security camera recording in the area showed the back rider shooting the victim.
The triggerman was wearing a pair of jeans, blue jacket and a helmet. The motorcycle driver, on the other hand, was donning a grey jacket, a pair of shorts, rubber shoes, and white helmet.
On Nov. 11, Mallon surrendered to Cordero. He confessed to being a drug user and a “drug runner.”
“He told me he was willing to undergo drug rehabilitation at the Police Regional Office 6. He was scheduled to report on Monday,” said Cordero.
A “high-value target” was how the police official described Mallon who ranked No. 2 in their list of suspected drug personalities.
“Basi may naka-atraso siya regarding sa drugs or he might have enemies nga gusto magpatay sa iya,” said Cordero.
According to Barangay Captain Eliezer Villanueva, Mallon was in their Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council report on suspected drug personalities.
Mallon had worked as personal driver of Atty. Edeljulio Romero, legal counsel of Odicta.
Meanwhile, unlike Mallon’s case, two suspects in the shooting of Capanang were immediately identified and one of them was arrested.
The suspects were Reynante Mendoza and Bernardo “Toto” Espinosa of Barangay Cagbang, Oton town.
Mendoza was detained at the Molo police station.
The suspects were identified by Christian Magda-el who told the police he witnessed the shooting.
According to Magda-el, the gunmen initially confronted Capanang about the money the fishermen received from them. Then they started shooting him.
Police sources told Panay News the suspects gave Capanang P1,500 on Monday for several sachets of shabu but the fish vendor failed to produce the illegal drug yesterday.
Cordero said the shooting could be drug- or business-related. He ordered his men to hunt for Espinosa.
A .45 pistol was used on Capanang, who recently surrendered to the Arevalo police station and confessed to being a drug user and pusher.
Barangay Editha Casilio of Dulonan, Arevalo confirmed that Capanang was in her barangay drug council’s list of suspected drug personalities./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
