Kin of witness vs Boratong shot dead

An uncle of a government witness against alleged shabu "tiangge" operator Amin Imam Boratong was shot dead Sunday by the latter’s alleged "hired killers" in Pasig City. The witness Samer Palao, alias Tangkad, strongly believed that his uncle Glicerio Bahande, 47, was killed by a certain policeman surnamed Along and an alias MacMac on suspicion that the victim was spying for him.

"He was out to pay a visit to my house which was long been abandoned. But I believed that Along and MacMac shot him dead on suspicion that he was working for me," said Palao in an interview.

Bahande was shot dead in front the house owned by Palao at 1211 Baltazar St., in Barangay Sto. Tomas at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Bahande, the uncle of Palao’s wife, sustained five gunshot wounds in the head and in the waist. He died on the spot.

Responding policemen recovered six empty shells and a live bullet from .45 caliber automatic pistol from the crime scene. Bahande was identified through his driver’s license.

Palao confirmed that it was his wife’s uncle, Bahande, a resident of St. Michael Village in Manila, who was shot by Along and MacMac.

In the last hearing on March 22, Palao said that Boratong is keeping at his disposal "hired killers" who ran after his competitors and drug pushers who incurred heavy debt on his drug organization. The witness named the "hired killers" as PO2 Ramil Along, Nasser Labay alias Buenas, Mangontawa Sultan alias MacMac and Pangkatan Sultan, alias Boy Negro.

Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr., Pasig City police chief, said they are now determining whether the Along and MacMac pointed to as the suspects in the slaying of Bahande were the same as those mentioned by Palao, in his testimony, as "hired killers" of Boratong.

Uyami admitted that the neighborhood refused to cooperate in their investigation on Bahande’s killing because the suspects threatened to "silence" them next should they testify against them.

In the same hearing last Thursday, Palao claimed that Boratong used the proceeds of his illegal drug operation for the purchase of eight houses in Sitio Mapayapa, some 100 meters away from the shabu "tiangge." Palao said the camp of Boratong suspected that his uncle was in the area to gather information on the eight houses of Boratong so "he was shot in front of my house."

According to Palao, it was him who asked Bahande to pay his house a visit because it was abandoned since he turned witness against his former boss, Boratong, since last year.

The shabu "tiangge" located along F. Soriano St., in Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Sto. Tomas was raided by government agents Feb. 10 last year. Uyami said they are still determining the true motive behind Bahande’s slaying.

PO2 Along is now listed as absent without official leave (AWOL) while MacMac went home to Davao City after Bahande’s killing. – Non Alquitran