By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The individuals listed on a piece of paper recovered with the two severed human feet at a gasoline station in Bacolod City’s Barangay Villamonte, were already contacted by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
BCPO director, Colonel Thomas Joseph Martir, said investigators have already approached the listed persons — two businessmen and a lawyer — to find out why they were on the list.
According to Police Station 4 commander, Captain Greeky Cayao, it is possible that the threats against the four were business-related.
The note said they were allegedly fuel smugglers.
Meanwhile, among those listed, Atty. Rafael Ocampo released a statement yesterday about his alleged involvement in the fuel smuggling.
“I was the operator of that particular [gasoline] station only until August 31, 2022. I only sourced fuel from the brand’s depot. I believe that the people behind this were of a mistaken belief that I still own the stations,” Ocampo said.
“I am a practicing lawyer and I do not need to resort to smuggling to earn a living,” he added.
The two others listed were Agnus Botones and Mark Efren.
On the other hand, Police Station 4 already has a lead to the individual who left the transparent plastic bag with the severed feet along C.L. Montelibano Avenue on Wednesday morning, March 29.
Cayao said investigators have yet to identify who owned the severed human feet.
Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said in a radio interview, it is becoming alarming and the police need to find the individuals behind the severed feet.
Familiaran also lauded the decision of Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez to set aside an intelligence fund to strengthen the city’s anti-crime monitoring.
Earlier in January of this year, a pair of chopped off hands were recovered in an ice cream container with stewed beef soup from a garbage pile in the city’s Barangay 2.
The said container also contained a list of names which later turned out to be individuals who were involved in illegal drug activities./DGB, WDJ