THE police is pursuing a “good lead” on the assailant who gunned down the father of Negros Island Region (NIR) top drug suspect Ricky Serenio, the alleged bagman of Berya drug group.
Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, officer-in-charge of Bacolod City Police Office, said Wednesday, May 24, that the lone witness in the killing of Wilfredo Serenio, 53, remembered the details of the gunman’s facial features.
The witness provided them a facial description, he added.
The elder Serenio was shot to death by riding-in-tandem assailants outside their house at Barangay Singcang-Airport in Bacolod City Monday night.
His death came more than a month after his son Wilmar Serenio, 31, was also killed by two unidentified assailants in the same place.
Serenio and his family were out of their house that night due to a power interruption.
Wanky said the witness claimed that the motorcycle driver was wearing a helmet while the gunman was not.
Even if it was dark, the witness still saw the gunman’s face as there was still light illuminating the area, he said.
Wanky said the witness described the gunman as medium-built, about five feet and four inches tall, and has long hair.
He added that they are now identifying the gunman through police records, adding that the assailant’s facial sketch will be ready soon.
Wanky said he is “very positive” that they can file the case against the perpetrators soon.
Moreover, Wanky said that a security detail was provided to the Serenios.
Ricky Serenio, in his sworn statement, had tagged several local personalities, including high-ranking policemen and other law enforcers, in the illegal drug trade.
Wanky said the motive of the killing could have been Ricky's cooperation in exposing big-time personalities and some members of the Philippine National Police as drug protectors.
Dig deeper
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said the police should thoroughly probe the killings.
“They should investigate and dig deeper if this is drug-related or not,” he added.