BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS & GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO – Western Visayas’ top cop ordered a “quality investigation” into the killing of three young businessmen in Estancia town.
The fiancée of one of the victims has denied the statement of the lone survivor in the killings that her boyfriend owed the survivor over P7 million.
On the contrary, according to Veronica Dazon, it was fish broker Jevron Parohinog, the survivor, who owed her boyfriend John Paul Mark Bosque P7 million and another victim, Chrysler Floyd Fernandes P3 million.
Iloilo City’s top officials called for a speedy investigation and resolution of the case. The victims were residents of the city.
Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director, Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco, sent more investigators from the regional police headquarters to Estancia to help the town police and the Iloilo Police Provincial Office personnel solve the crime.
Victims Bosque of Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur, Lapuz, Iloilo City; Fernandes of Barangay Jereos, La Paz, Iloilo City; and Mark Clarenz Libao of Barangay Quintin Salas, Jaro, Iloilo City were shot to death in Barangay Villa Panian, Estancia around 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 14.
Their friend Parohinog was unharmed.
In a press statement, Francisco revealed that the augmentation team from PRO-6 already sent him an update yesterday – the victims knew their attackers.
He, however, clarified he is not pressuring the police to hurry up. What he wanted, he stressed, is “quality investigation” that would lead to a successful prosecution.
For his part, Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry P. Treñas directed Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, Police Colonel Leo Batiles, to ensure proper investigation and assist the IPPO in solving the crime at the earliest possible time.
The mayor also offered a P50,000 reward money to whoever could give information leading to the arrest of the businessmen’s attackers.
Cong. Julienne Baronda, too, condemned the murders and called on the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrator/s to justice at once.
“It is unconscionable that the bright future which awaits the trio, who have shown much promise to be productive members of our society with their entrepreneurial pursuits, was stolen by this cold-blooded crime,” she said.
BOSQUE’S FIANCÉ SPEAKS UP
In a Facebook post yesterday, Bosque’s fiancée, Veronica Dazon, denied that Bosque owed someone in online sabong, contrary to what Parohinog had first claimed.
Parohinog told the Estancia police they were in the town to sell the fishing boat he and Bosque jointly owned for P7 million; part of the proceeds, he said, would be used to pay Bosque’s debt to someone he had no idea who.
“Wala pong hiniram si JP na pera kay Jevron. Kung tutuusin po, P7 million ang utang ni Jevron sa amin at P3 million kay Floyd,” Dazon said.
She added: “Please do not believe everything you see or hear on the internet. Nothing has yet been proven and everything is still under investigation.”
Meanwhile, IPPO director, Police Colonel Adrian Acollador, confirmed yesterday that Parohinog, who met with the victims’ family on Wednesday, admitted that he owed money to Bosque.
Acollador said Parohinog revealed that Bosque, Fernandes and Libao went to Estancia to get his P7 million payment.
Police Lieutenant Joebert Amado, acting chief of Estancia Police Station, said Parohinog is considered a person of interest.
Amado hopes he (Parohinog) can help in the investigation to resolve the case.
To recall, the four men were onboard a white Isuzu MUX when attacked by motorcycle-riding gunmen. Bosque owned the vehicle but Parohinog was driving it.
Amado said – citing the statement of Parohinog – the gunmen stopped the vehicle, opened the doors and started shooting.
Spent bullet shells of a .45 pistol were recovered from the victims’ vehicle. But Amado noted that no bullet holes were found in the vehicle.
Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) also recovered the victims’ mobile phones, including Parohinog’s, inside the vehicle.
Police also found a caliber .9mm pistol in the dashboard, believed to be owned by Bosque, and a money counting machine.
What happened to the P7 million?
Amado said none was recovered from the victims’ vehicle.
How exactly Parohinog 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 of the vehicle 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./PN
