'Notorious' robber in Bacolod slain
BACOLOD CITY – The police yesterday said that hired killers may be behind the death of an alleged notorious thief who was gunned down in front of his son and friends here Tuesday.
Bernabe Molina alias Jun Alog, was drinking with his friends at Purok Langka, Brgy. Mandalagan, when two unidentified men approached them and repeatedly shot him at close range at about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Police Station 3 case investigator PO1 Edward Alejano said.
The gunmen fled on a motorcycle, Molina's friends and his 17-year-old son told the police.
Molina, who was shot on the forehead, neck, and chest, was declared dead on arrival at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod, police records showed.
Investigators found four empty shells of .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene.
While Molina's cellular phone contained messages threatening him about his extra-marital affairs, Alejano said that his alleged involvement in the series of hold-ups that victimized money-lending Indian nationals could have been the likely motive behind the killing.
He said it is possible that Molina's victims may have paid the killers to finally stop his illegal activities.
The descriptions of the suspect by recent robbery victims in Brgy. Bata, matched with Molina's profile, Alejano said.
He added that, days before the murder, Molina and his three companions have been under their surveillance but they have not caught him because they could not identify him clearly yet.
Molina's mother-in-law, Cecilia Candelario, told the police that she had earlier forced him out of her house because of his being alcoholic and because he had brought his girlfriends there although he is married to her daughter, Rosemarie.
Rosemarie is in Metro Manila while her five children with Molina are here in Bacolod.
Alejano said they will file murder charges against Molina's assailants if witnesses could identify them later.