BACOLOD CITY – With the recent killing of Robert Tan, trader and brother of Councilor Ricardo Tan, DNX started digging up the police archives for similar killings this year, 2019.
We present below the timeline:
January 26. Bacolod Police Station 6 deputy chief SPO4 Oscar Exaltado was shot dead on his way to work. Witnesses according to media reports revealed that the police officer was attacked by two men – one riding a motorcycle, and another a passenger of an SUV. The men shot Exaltado several times, instantly killing him. Probers see the killings as possibly drug-linked, as the police officer was involved in anti-illegal drugs campaign in the city.
February 19. Businessman Alex Yao was gunned down by still unidentified killers. Yao was with wife, Ma. Teresa, and was leaving the Redemptorist Church when he was attacked that Tuesday evening.
Police reports revealed that one of the suspects approached Yao, who was already in his car, shooting him several times. Yao died while being treated in the hospital.
August 18. A resident of Bago City, Cristal Jastiva, was shot along Magsaysay Avenue by motorcycle-riding suspects. She was shot at close range on her head. Jastiva was on her way home after visiting her partner Kirby Andrada at the Metro Bacolod District Jail-Male Dormitory. Andrada had been arrested on drug charges last June.
August 31. Confessed drug bagman and whistleblower Ricky Serenio, who blew the whistle on several public personalities and members of the police, was ambushed and killed in Bacolod City afternoon.
Motorcycle riders attacked the whistle-blower while on his way home to Pulupandan. He was declared dead on arrival after he was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Suspects in the killing – Allan Bustamante, and Joemar Dumip-ig – tried to escape but were caught by policemen.
September 6. A “shoot-out” between police and a subject of a buy-bust happened in Vista Alegre, killing Billy “Jojo” Jilomina, who died on the spot.
Police reports claimed that Jilomina and the police were in the middle of a deal when the former fired at the operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-6 who were conducting the operations.
Reports claimed that the police was able to recover from the suspect P1 million worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.
November 8. Jail Officer 1 Jayvee Jason Vargas was killed before midnight of that day on his way to Handumanan. He was tailed by a blue Toyota Innova and two motorcycles. The motorcycle riders then proceeded to block Vargas, while armed men from the tailing vehicle came out and fired at him. Another vehicle, this time, a Toyota Hilux arrived with a motorcycle, carrying more armed men, who also shot at Vargas. One of the four possible angles eyed was drugs.
November 11. A resident of Barangay 3 was killed in on the evening of this date. The man, Paul Masicampo, was killed while he was in Barangay 2 with his common-law-wife. They were shot at by two mask-wearing suspects riding a motorcycle. Police were eyeing a possible drug angle to the killing. Masicampo died on the spot while his companion was brought to the regional hospital for treatment for her injuries.
December 2. A businessman, later identified to be Ontao Sacar, a Muslim leader, was abducted on the evening of this date. He was abducted along Burgos Street, and was found dead the next day.
Sacar’s body was found later in a nearby purok with a “Huwag tularan; pusher ako” sign hanging around its neck. The head bore gunshot wounds.