Marble mining firm owner shot dead in Bulacan
By Carmela Reyes
Central Luzon Desk
First Posted 16:46:00 06/09/2008
CITY OF MALOLOS, Philippines -- The owner of a mining firm operating at the Biak-na-Bato National Park mineral reservation in San Miguel town was shot dead Sunday night, police said.
Constantino Pascual, 57, president of Rosemoor Mining and Development Corp. (RMDC), was on his way home with his wife Zenaida after attending a Mass at the San Miguel town plaza when attacked at around 7:30 p.m.
He died of bullet wounds while undergoing treatment at the Emmanuel Vera Hospital in San Miguel.
Pascual was in the passenger seat of the family’s Toyota Vios that his son Ricky was driving. The car had stopped at a store and Ricky gotten out.
Police said four spent .45 caliber shells were recovered from the victim’s car and two slugs from his body.
The attack happened three months after Pascual survived an attack by gunmen who fired at his car while it was parked in his garage.
Pascual’s company has been suspended from operating within the Biak-na-Bato reservation for two years on orders of then environment secretary Angelo Reyes.
Senior Superintendent Allen Bantolo, Bulacan police director, they were looking into a business dispute as the motive of the killing.
Pascual’s wife said her husband had been asking Environment Secretary Jose “Lito” Atienza to lift the suspension order but had been denied. She said their company was experiencing financial problems.
The RMDC has a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to mine in the area.
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