THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is looking into illegal drugs as the motive behind the murder of former drug group bagman, Ricky Serenio, over the weekend.
BCPO Director Henry Biñas said they recovered several items from Serenio's vehicle. These include five pocket-sized and three regular-sized notebooks with names, codenames, and numbers.
Cops also recovered six bank books, with one having Serenio's name on it.
They discovered that the victim is renting a house in Barangay Pahanocoy.
Although police did not recover any money or illegal drugs in Serenio's car, investigators still suspect that the victim may still be actively participating in the illegal drugs business.
Biñas said they will continue investigating Serenio's drug involvement, despite the victim already admitted connections with the Berya drug group.
Serenio was gunned down by three riding-in-tandem suspects near the Manville Royale Subdivision in Barangay Pahanocoy.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, spokesperson of BCPO, said Sunday, September 1, the investigation and intelligence units were tasked to investigate the background of the two persons of interest and the recovered items inside Serenio's car.
Two persons of interest, who were arrested in the area, were identified as Joemar Dumip-ig, 30, of Barangay 14, Bacolod City; and Allan Bustamante, 30, of Barangay Mabuhay, 2, Toboso, Negros Occidental.
Pico said Dumip-ig and Bustamante were only seen in the area with gunshot wounds.
Both of them are still confined in a private hospital and scheduled for an operation.
"We cannot conclude yet that Dumip-ig and Bustamante are responsible in the killing of the Serenio because we don't have evidence or witnesses to testify that they killed the victim. But, as of now, they are under police custody," Pico said.
He said Serenio's mother is willing to file charges against the two persons of interest, but they are facing difficulty in finding witnesses.
"Until now, we don't have witnesses in the incident. We are hopeful that one of these days, there will be someone to come out and to give a sworn statement to solve this killing," he added.
Serenio became controversial after he linked several high-ranking police officers in Negros Occidental and politicians from the Western Visayas to the illegal drug trade.
Meanwhile, former Moises Padilla mayor Magdaleno Pena condemned the killing of Serenio.
"This man has significant contribution in the government's fight against illegal drugs, especially when he exposed the involvement of high-ranking PNP (Philippine National Police) officials and some of its members as protectors and their fellowship with drug lords," Pena said.
He added that Serenio supported and confirmed President Rodrigo Duterte's claim that Negros was third in shabu infestation.
"When Ricky exposed the collusion, cooperation, and participation of the highest PNP provincial officials and top drug lords, Camaria and Berya Tolentino, he supported and confirmed what President Duterte had declared in February 2017 that Negros was number 3 in shabu infestation and in March the same year, Ricky confirmed this. Ricky has proven that PRRD was correct," he said.
Serenio has been under Pena's custody.
"I have helped Ricky lived a normal life with his family for the last two years. Now, I am determined to help find justice for Ricky. May his soul rest in peace," Pena said.