Suspect in businesswoman’s slay dead in police shootout in Zamboanga del Sur

PAGADIAN CITY – One of the suspects in the killing of a businesswoman in Tambulig town, Zamboanga del Sur, was killed on Wednesday while resisting arrest, the police here reported.

Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Region 9 police information officer, said a CCTV footage had identified George Perez Paglinawan, 39, a resident of Barangay Kapamanok in San Pablo town, Zamboanga del Sur, as one of the suspects in the killing of Nellie Romo Paso, 45, on Wednesday.

Paso was driving her service vehicle from Barangay Lilo-an, Bonifacio town of Misamis Occidental Wednesday on her way to attend the mid-week mass at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Barangay Happy Valley, Tambulig when shot by her attackers onboard a red XRM motorcycle.

She suffered one bullet wound on the left of her nape and was rushed to a nearby community hospital but was declared dead by the attending physician.

Police retrieved the CCTV footage and had identified Paglinawan as one of the suspects.

Police said they caught up with the suspect in Barangay Switch, Ramon Magsaysay town but when they approached to arrest him, the suspect drew his handgun and fired at the operating team, prompting the team to fire back.

Investigators recovered from the crime scene a caliber .45 pistol loaded with six live ammunition, empty cartridges of caliber .45 and caliber 5.56 m16 rifle, 13 live ammunition of cal. 45 wrapped in a white sock, and two extra magazines of cal. 45 loaded with seven live ammunition each.

The Tambulig police still had to identify Paglinawan’s companion.