2 dead, 1 wounded in Molo shooting incident
A long-standing feud between a Bangladeshi and his in-laws resulted to a bloody ending early morning yesterday in Brgy. East Baluarte, Molo, Iloilo City.
Around 8 a.m. yesterday Mohammed Zahir Hossain shot his estranged wife Ruby Ann Senato and her mother Yolanda Senato, a barangay kagawad of East Baluarte, while walking beside the road. Ruby Ann died minutes after she was brought to the hospital while her mother is still under treatment as of press time.
Hossain, on the other hand, was shot by responding policemen after he tried to fight back while trying to escape. He also died minutes after he was brought at Saviour International Hospital in Molo.
Earlier, witnesses saw Hossain alighting from a taxi along the corner of Baluarte and Boulevard road then immediately shot Ruby Ann and Yolanda who were walking beside the road from East Baluarte.
Saldy Alondares, driver of Light of Glory Taxi, voluntarily went to Molo police station to report that his taxi unit was hired by Hussein.
Alondares said Hossain hired the taxi cab he is driving for one hour, where he was told to go to Boulevard, Molo.
The driver said, in Boulevard, Molo Hossain came out of the taxi and told him to wait. Minutes later Hossain went back then told him that they would leave but upon reaching the corner of Boulevard and Baluarte road, Hossain immediately alighted from the taxi then shot the two women.
Police discovered from the crime scene five empty shells and two live bullets of .38 caliber revolver believed to used by Hussein in shooting the victims.
Hossain tried to escape towards Brgy. Timawa but police operatives were able to catch up with him.
Molo police chief Sr. Insp. Danilo Delos Santos said Hussein tried to shoot back at the pursuing policemen prompting PO1 Alvin Alcolea to shoot him.
Sr. Insp. Delos Santos, in an interview with Bombo Radyo, said he still saw Hossain and Ruby Ann the other week eating ice cream with their child in a restaurant in the city which made the police chief wonder why Hossain did it to his wife.
It was learned that there was a long-standing feud between Hossain and Ruby Ann’s parents who do not want the two to leave together as the Bangladeshi always hurt their daughter.
To recall, last March of this year Hussein lobbed a grenade at the house of Ruby Ann’s parents in East Baluarte, unfortunately it did not explode.
Authorities were able to recover the said grenade which they brought to the headquarters of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. However, while being readied for safekeeping said grenade exploded killing SPO3 Raphael Managuit of the Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) of the Iloilo City Police Office.
Appropriate charges were filed against Hossain but all of them were dismissed by the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office.
Meanwhile, Ruby Ann’s brother Reggie Senato blamed the Molo police for what happened to his mother and sister.
Reggie said they have long sought police help with regard to the threat posed by Hossain on their family but the Molo police merely ignored them.
It was learned that Hossain and Ruby Ann have three children who are under the custody of Ruby Ann’s parents.