Illegal gambling eyed in killing of Clarin town VM's husband

CEBU, Philippines — The husband of Vice Mayor Velden Aparicio of Clarin town in Bohol was shot to death by a still unidentified gunman at the resort of the Aparicios at Barangay Bacani in Clarin Sunday afternoon. A relative of the victim was also hit and wounded by a stray bullet during the incident.

Police are now zooming in on illegal-gambling as the possible motive behind the killing of the vice-mayor's husband, 44-year-old Ricardo Aparicio.

Senior Superintendent Angeles Geñorga, director of the Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO), said Ricardo was allegedly a financier of an illegal-numbers game called “swertres,” based on the accounts of the residents in the community.

Geñorga said it is a possibility that the one behind the killing, is a business rival. “Mas nag-weigh in ang involvement (of the victim) sa illegal gambling. Napag-alaman natin sa community kasi na financier (victim) ng swertres, baka rival sa swertres (possible mastermind of the killing),” he said.

During the shooting, the gunman had an accomplice which served as a spotter or a lookout, said Geñorga. He said that, moment before the attack, the spotter was already inside Aparicio's resort.

At around 5 p.m., when Ricardo was outside talking to a friend, the gunman walked up to him and shot him multiple times in the different parts of the body. The gunman then, ran toward his cohort, and boarded the motorcycle which they used as their get away vehicle.

Ricardo, sustained fatal shots in his body and did not make it to the hospital alive. He was already lifeless when attending physicians at the Clarin Community Hospital tended to him.

The stray-bullet victim, identified as 36-year-old Roel Aparicio, a relative of Ricardo and a resort employee, was also rushed to the Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City for medical treatment.

Police recovered from the crime scene the gunman's .45-caliber pistol, eight pieces of fired empty shells from the gun and a slug, all of which will be subjected to ballistic examination for cross-matching with other shooting incidents in the province.

Geñorga said witnesses, near the crime scene at the time, said they could describe the facial features of the gunman, who was only wearing sunglasses.

The police had already initiated a manhunt for the killer, who was reportedly fleeing toward Inabanga town. They are also pursuing some personalities who may have links to the killing, but details of this will not be disclosed yet until further investigation, Geñorga said.

Geñorga said the police are also checking with the family, putting their cellphones under forensic examinations to see if Ricardo received death threats before the attack.

He also pointed out that the resort did not have enough security measures, has no log book to record the names of visitors and guests, and has no close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Geñorga said the BPPO is givng enough time for the family before digging deeper into their side, since the family is still hysterical. He added there is no need to form a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG). (FREEMAN)