BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS and RUBY SILUBRICO
ILOILO – Three young businessmen all based in Iloilo City were shot to death in Barangay Villa Panian, Estancia town around 12:30 a.m. yesterday.
With the circumstances of their death unclear, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director, Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco, ordered an in-depth investigation.
What the Estancia police station only has for now is the version of what happened from the statement given by the lone survivor of the shooting – a business partner of the victims.
According to fish broker Jebron Parojenog who survived unscathed, gunmen attacked them.
Parojenog, 24, is a resident of Barangay Villa Panian. He is now in the custody of the Estancia police.
His three companions were all declared “dead on arrival” at the Jesus Colmenares District Hospital in nearby Balasan town – Jan Paul Mark Bosque, 28, of Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur, Lapuz, Iloilo City; Chrysler Floyd Fernandes, 27, of Barangay Jereos, La Paz, Iloilo City; and Mark Clarenz Libao, 24, of Jaro, Iloilo City.
The Estancia police so far established that the four men were onboard a white Isuzu MUX when attacked. Bosque owned the vehicle but Parojenog was driving it.
Just exactly how many gunmen were there remains unclear but from what the police so far gathered from Parojenog, the gunmen were on a motorcycle.
According to Police Lieutenant Joebert Amado of the Estancia police station – citing the statement of Parojenog – the gunmen stopped the vehicle, opened the doors and started shooting.
What were the four young businessmen doing in Estancia in the wee hours of Sept. 14?
“Sa subong full force gid ang aton mga operatives sa investigation… para tutukan gid,” said Amado.
Spent bullet shells of a .45 pistol were recovered from the victims’ vehicle. But Amado noted that no bullet holes were found.
Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) also recovered the victims’ mobile phones, including Parojinog’s, inside the vehicle.
Police also found a caliber .9mm pistol in the dashboard, believed to be owned by Bosque.
Parojenog told the Estancia police they were there to sell their jointly-owned fishing boat for P7 million; part of the proceeds, he said, would be used to pay Bosque’s debts to someone that the survivor said he had no idea who.
“Ang alegasyon, naghalin sila sa Iloilo City nga apat pakadto diri sa Estancia kay may ginpatigayon ini si John Paul (Bosque) kay Jebron (Parojenog) nga kwarta inugbayad sa iya (Bosque) online sabong. Si John Paul ni ang may ka-transaction…Pagkit-anay ni nila may gamay nga isturyahanay kag binaisay. Insigida may linupok sang armas luthang,” Amado said.
What happened to the P7 million?
Amado said none was recovered from the victims’ vehicle.
How exactly Parojenog survived the attack?
He told the police his nerves got the better of him when the shooting started that he accidentally drove the vehicle into a ditch.
He said he managed to get out and ran away.
Barangay officials living nearby were alerted by the bursts of gunfire, checked the area out and alerted the Estancia police station.
Responding policemen found Fernandes’ body outside the vehicle; he presumably tried to run away but was shot.
The bodies of Bosque and Libao were recovered in the vehicle.
With the circumstances of the crime unclear, Police Brigadier General Francisco tasked the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director, Police Colonel Adrian Acollador, to conduct a thorough investigation, “identify, arrest and file appropriate charges against the perpetrators.”
Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas, for his part, ordered the Iloilo City Police Office to help the IPPO, noting that the three victims were residents of the city./PN
