Wednesday, July 18, 2007 Ex-vice guv’s grandson found dead in reclamation By Suzette T. Quingco and Nicolas C. Delfin
THREE persons were found dead in Bacolod, Murcia and Bago City over the weekend.
In Bacolod, a 44-year-old scion of the well-known Esteban and Regalado clans was found lifeless with a stab wound in his stomach at the cogonal area beside the giant SM City Mall Sunday evening.
Antonio Regalado of Block 14, Lot 17 Estanzia Subdivision, Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City was believed to be a hold-up victim, said City Police Director Ronilo Quebrar.
Regalado is the grandson of Gloria Esteban, former vice governor of Negros Occidental.
During inspection, policemen from Police Station 2 only recovered his cellular phone and a car key.
His vehicle, a white Toyota Corolla, however, was found beside the area where he was found dead.
Senior Police Officer I Hermelo Jalandoni, case investigator assigned in the case, said they are now looking for a woman who reported about Regalado’s body to the security guards in the nearby mall.
“Maybe that woman has knowledge about what happened and so we are looking for her now,” Jalandoni said.
Police, however, theorized that robbery was the motive behind Regalado’s murder.
Jalandoni said the victim’s wallet and wrist watch were already missing and are believed to have been stolen by unknown suspect or suspects.
Quebrar, on the other hand, said based on their initial findings Regalado was seen in the area at around 4 p.m. Sunday.
“My policemen who were roving on board a police mobile patrol car were the ones who spotted him (Regalado) in the area Sunday afternoon. Maybe the victim was there to breathe fresh air and while he remained there into the night until he was probably held up,” Quebrar added.
Case is now being investigated.
Woman killed
In Bago City, a 32-year-old woman and a mother of two kids was also killed.
Jeniver Pelinggon’s body was discovered in Barangay Calumanggan Saturday night.
She succumbed to multiple stab wounds in the different parts of her body.
Probers suspected that the suspect or suspects might have attempted to rape the victim prior to her death.
Police investigation revealed that the victim was on her way home in Barangay Calumanggan at about 7 p.m. when unidentified suspects blocked her and waylaid her to a dark area.
Bago City Police Chief Alex Belonio said the suspects allegedly attempted to rape her, but the victim reportedly shouted for help prompting the suspects to kill her instead.
Upon investigation, probers were able to gather witnesses that later identified one of the two alleged suspects.
Through a hot pursuit operation, the identified suspect was arrested in their house also in the area at about 10 a.m. Monday.
The arrested suspect (name being withheld yet) has also a pending rape case but was only settled, Belonio told Sun.Star-Bacolod.
Belonio also said he will call the witnesses and let them identify the arrested suspect.
Farmer stabbed dead
In Murcia, a farmer also died of multiple stab wounds after his friends attacked him while they were having a drinking spree in Sitio Ginampasan, Barangay Buenavista Sunday evening.
Sedrito Aghon also in the said place was reportedly killed by suspects identified as Vincent Parreñas and Junjun Mosico.
Both are now detained at the Murcia Police detention cell.
Killing erupted through verbal tussle ensued between the victim and the two suspects.
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