THE father and younger brother of Negros Island Region (NIR) top drug suspect Ricky Serenio were killed by the same gunman.
This was confirmed Sunday, May 28, by Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, officer-in-charge of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), as the assailant was identified by two witnesses of the two incidents.
On May 23, Serenio’s father Wilfredo, 53, was shot to death by two unidentified men on a motorcycle outside their house at Barangay Singcang-Airport in Bacolod City. His son, Wilmar, 31, was also gunned down by two unidentified assailants on April 10.
Wanky said the witness on the killing of Serenio’s father described the gunman as medium-built, about five feet and four inches tall, and has long hair.
As investigators are identifying the gunman through police records, another witness came forward and gave the same description of the gunman.
“They compared notes,” Wanky said, adding that the gunman was identified by a photograph shown to the two witnesses.
This prompted the police to file murder charges against the gunman before the City Prosecutor’s Office Friday, May 26.
Wanky said the witness in the first case was initially afraid to come out, but after learning that another Serenio was killed, the witness surfaced.
Senior Inspector Wilfredo Benoman Jr., head of Police Station 8, said charges will be filed against the other assailant once he will be identified by the witnesses.
He refused to elaborate on the details on the case for the security of the Serenio family.
The BCPO has provided security detail to the Serenios.
Ricky Serenio, in his sworn statements, tagged high-ranking policemen and other law enforcers to the illegal drug trade in Negros.
Wanky had earlier said the motive of the killing could have been Ricky's cooperation in exposing the identified personalities as drug protectors.
