By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The father of former Berya drug group member and bagman Ricky Serenio was shot and killed by riding-in-tandem suspects at Purok Sampaguita 1, Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, late Monday evening.
Police identified the fatality as 53-year-old Wilfredo Serenio, a resident of the said barangay.
Police Station 8 (PS8) commander, Police Senior Inspector Wilfredo Benoman, Jr., said, around 10:00 p.m., electricity in the area was reportedly cut, forcing Serenio and his family, including Ricky, to leave their house to cool down.
As the elder Serenio was talking with another individual on the street, two unidentified gunmen aboard a white motorcycle approached the victim and shot him several times with a .45 caliber pistol.
Based on a statement made by the victim’s wife, Gina, the elder Serenio also threw his grandchildren off a bridge to save them from getting hit by the gunmen.
The victim was rushed by his family to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center (BAMC), where he later succumbed to a gunshot wound to the chest, which struck his heart.
In an interview with local radio stations following the incident, the deceased’s wife said she was able to identify the gunmen as suspected members of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), adding, she met them when they visited Ricky when he was still with the Berya drug group.
She stated one of the suspects has thick eyebrows, medium-built, and long hair; and claimed to have seen the suspects passing by PS8 during the interview.
Police Regional Office-18 (PRO-18) spokesperson, Police Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, meanwhile, said the regional police and PS8 are currently investigating allegations claiming the suspects are members of NOPPO.
She also stated the incident was reviewed during their regular command conference with PRO-18 Director, Police Chief Superintendent Edmund Gonzales.
Earlier this year, Ricky’s brother, Wilmar, was also gunned down by riding-in-tandem suspects near their home in Barangay Singcang. Police suspect the gunmen are the same individuals.
Ricky was earlier arrested in January by members of the Regional Special Operations Task Group-18 (RSOTG-18), after he was tracked down in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.
However, after the arrest, Ricky
revealed the names of law enforcement officers in the province allegedly
receiving protection money from the Berya drug group./WDJ