BY RUBY SILUBRICO & RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – The three young businessmen killed in Estancia, Iloilo on Sept. 14 were all shot at close range, results of their autopsy showed. Their businessman-friend who survived the attack, Jevron Parohinog, is the key to solve the crime, according to latter’s legal counsel, Atty. Hector Teodosio.
“Nakita niya ang isa ka gunman. At least, sa rules of evidence basta eyewitness, mabakod,” said Teodosio.
His client, Teodosio also clarified, is not a suspect.
Parohinog is cooperating with the police investigating the crime, he added.
The young businessman, a resident of Barangay Villa Pani-an, Estancia where the shooting took place past midnight on Wednesday last week, is still in the custody of the Estancia police station.
Teodosio said his client’s testimony is strong because the latter actually saw the gunmen.
In his latest statement to the special investigation task group (SITG), Parohinog said he would be able to identify one of the gunmen should he see him again.
“After the facial composite sketch immediately na-identify nya (Parohinog) ang isa didto nga naglambat sa ila kag nagtiro. Indi nya kilala by name pero dugay na nya na-encounter several times,” said Police Senior Master Sergeant Francisco Lindero Jr., spokesperson of the SITG.
Also, Parohinog’s and the three slain businessmen’s paraffin tests all yielded negative results for gunpowder burns, he added.
SHOT AT CLOSE RANGE
Based on the autopsy reports received by the special investigation task group (SITG) Palibosfer, Dr. Owen Libaquin, who conducted the autopsy on the three fatalities, concluded that the cause of death of the victims was multiple gunshot wounds.
John Paul Mark Bosque sustained gunshot wounds on the right cheek, chest, and back near the right shoulder. He also had bruises on the chest and left face likely caused by a hard object.
Mark Clarenz Libao sustained gunshot wounds on the right cheek, chest and right arm, and had bruises on the forehead and left eye.
Chysler Floyd Fernandes’ autopsy result was the last to be released yesterday and it showed him with the most gunshot wounds at six on the chest, shoulders, left thigh, and calf.
Libaquin, a retired medico-legal officer of the Police Regional Office 6’s crime laboratory, was requested by the families of the victims to conduct the autopsy.
“Si Bosque tatlo ini ang igo niya, isa sa likod, isa sa dughan, isa sa guya. Indi ta ni mabal-an ang sitwasyon ngaa may igo ni siya sa likod kag sa dughan kay wala kita didto. May lagub man siya sa guya caused sang matig-a nga bagay. While si Libao, may igo sa guya, sa dalungan, kag sa right nga abaga. May mga lagub man siya sa agtang kag black eye sa wala nga mata kag gasgas sa atubangan sang agtang,” Lebaquin said in an interview with RMN DYRI Iloilo.
He added that the bodies of the victims have “metallic fouling”, which means they were shot at a close distance or range by the gunman.
The investigator on case was already done taking the affidavit of Parohinog. However, the document is still being reviewed by his lawyer before it will be notarized.
According to Lindero, the SITG will exhausting all possible means to gather more evidences and find witnesses.
“The public through the media shall be regularly informed of the progress of the incident. However, everyone must understand that some information or data shall be withheld temporarily because premature disclosure of the same may compromise the ongoing investigation,” said Lindero.
The four young businessmen were onboard a white Isuzu MUX when attacked by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Villa Pani-an, Estancia, Iloilo at around 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 14, as told by Parohinog to the police.
Bosque owned the vehicle but Parohinog was driving it.
The dash camera of the Isuzu MUX and the two mobile phones of Bosque were already submitted to the Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Unit 6 and could possibly shed light on the case.
On the other hand, the cash rewards for the identification and arrest of the gunmen have now reached P80,000.
Estancia’s Mayor Marylynn Mosqueda and Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas recently offered cash rewards of P30,000 and P50,000, respectively./PN