09 September 2005
Suspected drug pusher, girlfriend shot dead in Dagupan City
SUSPECTED vigilantes may have been behind the fatal shooting of a suspected notorious drug pusher and his girlfriend in front of the Development Bank of the Philippines building on M.H. del Pilar street here at past 11 p.m. Thursday.
Dead were Reynaldo de Guzman, 40, of Perez Market site in Dagupan City; and Cristina Bellosillo, 20, of barangay Osiem in Mangaldan town.
Both were walking down the road going southward after coming out from the Caliman Lodge when they were shot by an unidentified gunman who used a Caliber 45 pistol as evidenced by two empty shells found near the crime scene.
De Guzman died on the spot while Bellosillo was rushed to the adjacent Region 1 Medical Center but died later from a gunshot wound on her left side, soon after identifying herself as a girlfriend of de Guzman.
Theories of a summary execution by vigilantes surfaced as a placard was found across the road, possibly left by the killer or killers, tagging de Guzman a holdup man and a drug pusher and urging the people not to emulate his deeds.
Records of the police showed Bellosillo was involved in several cases of snatching before and may have shifted later to shabu-pushing.
On the other hand, De Guzman was identified as a former henchman of a detained gun-for hire, identified as Willy Mendoza, alias “Samal”.
Supt. Edgar Basbas, police chief of Dagupan, said however that the placard found near the bodies of the victims was not a sure indication they were summarily executed because the perpetrators may have deliberately left it there to confuse police investigation of the incident.
“We can say this could be the work of vigilantes or their companions who may have eliminated them due to possible “double-cross” or (they may have) been salvaged, but these are all speculation and (are without) evidence to support the same,” Basbas said.
Basbas said there were still many people at the corner of M.H. del Pilar street and PNR road when the incident happened but apparently the possible eyewitnesses refuse or are afraid to come out.
Both de Guzman and Bellosillo were the second and third victims of alleged summary execution in Dagupan City since Basbas took over the helm of the Dagupan Police last Aug. 9.
The first victim was a man whose cadaver was dumped in an isolated place in barangay Bonuan Binloc two weeks ago after being shot on the left side of his face.
There were many more suspected cases of summary executions that happened in Dagupan City, the sheer number of which may now have made Dagupan second only to Davao in the number of possible vigilante killings.
Not one suspect has been arrested by the police yet.
The body of de Guzman was already claimed by his legal wife from a funeral parlor in Dagupan City while that of Bellosillo has been brought home by her relatives. (PNA)
Dead were Reynaldo de Guzman, 40, of Perez Market site in Dagupan City; and Cristina Bellosillo, 20, of barangay Osiem in Mangaldan town.
Both were walking down the road going southward after coming out from the Caliman Lodge when they were shot by an unidentified gunman who used a Caliber 45 pistol as evidenced by two empty shells found near the crime scene.
De Guzman died on the spot while Bellosillo was rushed to the adjacent Region 1 Medical Center but died later from a gunshot wound on her left side, soon after identifying herself as a girlfriend of de Guzman.
Theories of a summary execution by vigilantes surfaced as a placard was found across the road, possibly left by the killer or killers, tagging de Guzman a holdup man and a drug pusher and urging the people not to emulate his deeds.
Records of the police showed Bellosillo was involved in several cases of snatching before and may have shifted later to shabu-pushing.
On the other hand, De Guzman was identified as a former henchman of a detained gun-for hire, identified as Willy Mendoza, alias “Samal”.
Supt. Edgar Basbas, police chief of Dagupan, said however that the placard found near the bodies of the victims was not a sure indication they were summarily executed because the perpetrators may have deliberately left it there to confuse police investigation of the incident.
“We can say this could be the work of vigilantes or their companions who may have eliminated them due to possible “double-cross” or (they may have) been salvaged, but these are all speculation and (are without) evidence to support the same,” Basbas said.
Basbas said there were still many people at the corner of M.H. del Pilar street and PNR road when the incident happened but apparently the possible eyewitnesses refuse or are afraid to come out.
Both de Guzman and Bellosillo were the second and third victims of alleged summary execution in Dagupan City since Basbas took over the helm of the Dagupan Police last Aug. 9.
The first victim was a man whose cadaver was dumped in an isolated place in barangay Bonuan Binloc two weeks ago after being shot on the left side of his face.
There were many more suspected cases of summary executions that happened in Dagupan City, the sheer number of which may now have made Dagupan second only to Davao in the number of possible vigilante killings.
Not one suspect has been arrested by the police yet.
The body of de Guzman was already claimed by his legal wife from a funeral parlor in Dagupan City while that of Bellosillo has been brought home by her relatives. (PNA)
