Saturday, September 27, 2003
NBI sketches of ‘witnesses’ in Salabas slay distributed
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Friday released cartographic sketches of three persons who may shed light on the killing of former Barangay Pahanocoy chairman Eleuterio Salabas and his two companions.
Lawyer Celso Estorga, NBI-Bacolod head, said one of the three persons, who was seen last Sept. 1 in Guihulngan, alighted from the Nissan Frontier of Salabas at 11 p.m.
Salabas and his companions - 2nd Mate Ricardo Suganob and Maximo Lumongo - were declared missing last Aug. 31.
Suganob and Lumongo’s bodies were found separately last Sept. 2 and Sept. 3 in Lag-asan Beach Resort, Barangay Lag-asan, Bago City and Tapong Beach, Barangay Tapong, Pulupandan, respectively.
Salabas’, on the other hand, was found only last Sept. 19 on the shore of Punta Buri, Ahuy, Iloilo.
When their bodies were found, investigators saw signs of torture. They were all shot on the head.
Salabas’ ashes contained in an urn placed at the Bacolod Memorial Park following the 3 p.m. mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral Saturday.
Estorga said he does not consider the person, who is about 38 years old, with brown complexion, medium built and between 5’5 to 5’7 in height, as a "suspect" but one who "will help solve the case." He was last seen wearing white t-shirt and short pants.
Two others in the cartographic sketches were seen a day before Salabas was declared missing last Aug. 31.
Estorga said the persons were seen conducting surveillance operations near the training center of the Visayan Maritime Academy (VMA) in Pahanocoy.
He added they even stayed at Pahanocoy Beach then transferred in Tacolod, which is just beside the training center.
One of them is about 33 to 36 years old, 5’6 to 58 in height, about 175 pounds, dark complexion and with large built.
The other one between 35 to 40 years old, is 5’4 to 5’6 in height, medium built, 128 pounds and with dark complexion.
However, police are still facing a blank wall until now as to the identities of the suspects behind the killing of Salabas and his two companions.
Estorga said they are looking into Salabas’ debt worth millions of pesos reportedly with a financier at Casino Filipino as a possible motive behind the killing.
Salabas’ widow, Dr. Elizabeth Orola-Salabas, however, said her husband’s debt was only P450,000 incurred from five individuals.
She added that her husband has started paying his debt from three persons.
Salabas said her husband could not have been killed due to his debt at the casino.
Salabas, his wife said, was going through some pressures prior to the killings.
Suganob, an instructor of Capitol University was in Bacolod to accompany his 80 students taking up Bachelor of Science in Maritime Engineering (BSME) who underwent training at the VMA.
Investigation showed that prior to the slay, the three went to Goldenfield Commercial Complex in Bacolod for a drinking spree but failed to return home.
City Police Director George Bajelot, on the other hand, said Elizabeth's earlier statement that Bacolod City is now a "salvage city" is unfair.
Bajelot said the wife should not believe the perception of people in Manila that Bacolod has become the city of "salvagings."
Mayor Luzviminda Valdez also said earlier that the city is still a livable place.
(September 27, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here.
|
