POLICE have identified one of the assailants of Buenavista, Bohol Mayor Ronald Lowell Tirol, who was shot dead inside the cockpit arena in Barangay Asinan last Sunday afternoon.
Chief Supt. Robert Quenery, the Police Regional Office 7 director, identified the suspect as Elmer Abanda Melencion, who is also known as Eti Melencion.
Melencion was with four other unidentified men during Sunday’s attack. The suspects did not wear masks.
Buenavista Police Station Chief Rully Luaron led the filing of murder complaints against Melencion and his cohorts before the Office of the Bohol Provincial Prosecutor in Tagbilaran City yesterday afternoon.
Quenery said Melencion also tried to kill Tirol in 2014 inside the cockpit arena in Clarin, Bohol.
Tirol’s bodyguard, who identified the gunman, was with the mayor at the time.
Quenery said they are looking into business, politics and personal relationship as possible motives behind the attack. The police official saw no need to create a special investigation task group to look into Tirol’s case.
Criminal record
Lauron, for his part, said they will go after Melencion, who has two pending murder cases for killing two persons in the town. The suspect had been caught Bohol provincial police operatives for another bailable criminal offense.
“We cannot say yet who is his boss,” Lauron said in a phone interview.
Around 3 p.m. last Sunday, Tirol was shot in close range while sitting on the upper box of the arena. Witnesses said they heard at least three gunshots.
Melencion and his cohorts fled on board two motorcycles. They were seen heading to Getafe town.
A team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered seven .45 pistol cartridges and one .9mm cartridge in the crime scene.
Tirol was rushed to a hospital in Inabanga town, where he was declared dead on arrival. (KAL)