3 angles eyed in Malabon barangay chairman's slay

MANILA, Philippines - The Northern Police District (NPD) is looking into three possible motives in the murder of a re-electionist barangay chairman in Malabon City Sunday.

Superintendent Rio Gatacilo, NPD public information officer and a designated spokesman on the case by NPD director Senior Superintendent Edgardo Ladao, said yesterday there is no “clear motive yet” in the killing of Barangay Concepcion chairman Maximo Bernardo.

“We are focusing our investigation into three possible grounds – political, personal or it could also be business related,” Gatacilo told The STAR. 

At least three police units – the NPD intelligence division headed by Superintendent Ferdinand del Rosario, the Malabon City police under Superintendent Reynaldo Orante, and the Northern-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headed by Chief Inspector Ruben Lacuesta – have joined forces to hunt down Bernardo’s killers.

Two motorcycle-riding gunmen shot Bernardo in the head while he was walking home along Paez street at around 7:15 a.m. after attending Mass at a nearby church.

Bernardo was brought to the UST Hospital for treatment but died from a bullet wound that went through his head.

Police recovered a shell for .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene and it is being examined at the NPD crime laboratory.

Gatacilo said Bernardo’s killing was well planned and could have been done by professional killers.

Bernardo, 56, was seeking a third and last term as chairman of Barangay Concepcion in the Oct. 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

At least three others – Michael Santiago, Romancito Santos, both businessmen and Orlando Vivero, a retired policeman – are running for the same post.

Apart from being a barangay official, Bernardo, an engineer, also engaged in construction works.

Gatacilo said that there were several persons who witnessed Bernardo’s killing but are hesitant to cooperate with the police.

Gatacilo said despite Bernardo’s murder, election campaigning in Malabon is going “smoothly” with no reported “area of emotional concern” in the city.