Businessman shot dead
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

A businessman was gunned down in broad daylight yesterday by an unidentified gunman at McKinley-Gomez Streets in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

The victim, identified as Charles Balbon Jr., 31, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds that led to his death, initial investigations of the Silay police showed.

Balbon was the son of Charles Balbon Sr., a former member of the defunct Philippine Constabulary Criminal Investigation Service, who was previously tagged by the police as engaged in drug peddling activities, and has been linked to illegal gambling.

A 46-year-old widower accused of having an affair with a married woman, was hacked and stabbed dead in Brgy. Camingawan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, police said yesterday.

The suspect, identified as Ronnie Ronquillo, 50, yesterday surrendered to the Mabinay Police Station in Negros Oriental, Supt. Calixto Mabugat, Kabankalan police chief said.

Mabugat said the victim, Pepito Morales,46, succumbed to multiple hack and stab wounds.

“Let us not lose focus, the real victim here was a good judge.”

That was stressed yesterday by National Bureau of Investigation Bacolod chief Ferdinand Lavin after numerous allegations were raised following the NBI's filing of charges against Ilog Mayor John Paul Alvarez and six others for the murder of Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles.

Lavin denied allegations that the Arles family or the NBI had tortured three Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao members into admitting participation in the murder of the judge, and that they are fall guys.