US citizen shot dead

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A week after the death of an Australian pensioner in Sipalay City, another foreigner, an American this time, was shot to death Tuesday evening in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

The victim identified as  Eric Norman Hendrickson, 57, of Iowa, United States, was declared dead on arrival at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, according to the police.

Hendrickson, who was temporarily residing at Loney Burgos in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, succumbed to two fatal gunshot wounds in the head and in his left arm, Inspector Charmae De Paz, spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO), disclosed yesterday.

Immediate response of the Silay City Police to the shooting incident, led to the arrest of the two suspects identified as Gilbert Apellido, 40, of Barangay  Concepcion in Talisay City, and his nephew, Neil Brian Corseno, 18, of the Barangay Mambulac, Silay City.  Superintendent Noel Polines, Silay City Police chief, said a .38-caliber revolver with a live ammunition and five empty shells were recovered yesterday from the area, about 50 meters away from the crime scene.

Polines said the shooting incident, in front of the old Jose Locsin Memorial Hospital at Barangay 5, Silay City, was triggered by drunkenness.

Hendrickson was shot three times by the suspect, according to the police.The arrest of the two suspects was also made by the Silay Police, almost five minutes after the commission of the crime.

Police investigations showed that Apellido, who confessed to the crime, was drunk when he shot Hendrickson, after he was told to stay away from him. Polines said they have three eyewitnesses who have seen the shooting of Hendrickson by Apellido.

Murder charges, in relations to the implementation of Comelec gun ban, are now being readied by the Silay police against Apellido and Corseno, who are now both in jail.

Meanwhile, the police is looking into robbery as the motive behind the killing of Teunis Van Dalen, a 79-year-old Australian pensioner, who was found dead on May 12 at his residence in Barangay Mambaroto, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.

The body of Van Dalen was already in a state of decomposition, when discovered at the living room of his residence, according to Chief Inspector Nasser Canja, officer-in-charge of the Sipalay Police.

Canja said initial investigations of the SOCO (Scene Of the Crime Operatives) showed that there was forcible entry to the house of the victim, and that a commotion took place before the killing. (FREEMAN)