Cops eye 4 angles, including drugs, in murder of Bacolod jail officer

MANILA, Philippines — The Bacolod City Police Office is looking at four angles, including illegal drugs, in the ambush-slay of a jail officer in Barangay Pahanocoy.

Col. Henry Biñas, Bacolod City police chief, said investigators have identified persons of interest in the killing of Jail Officer 1 Jayvee Jason Vargas, but did not disclose more information to not jeopardize the investigation.

“‘Yun ang isang tinitingnan natin kasi may information for the involvement niya sa illegal drugs,” he said in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net on Tuesday.

(One of the angles we are looking into is his reported involvement in illegal drugs.)

He said other angles on the incident could be business, personal grudge, or the victim’s job at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Vargas reportedly co-owns with his father retired Senior Jail Officer 2 Joeby Vargas a cock breeding farm in Murcia town.

The 28-year-old victim was driving a Mitsubishi Strada pick-up on the way home when eight unidentified armed men aboard motorcycles opened fire using high-powered guns just before midnight on November 8. His father and three relatives were also in the vehicle.

Vargas was shot in the head and died on the spot.

READ: Jail officer killed, another wounded in Bacolod ambush

Prior to the attack, the victim also survived an ambush in April this year.

Biñas said those involved in the April ambush may be the ones also behind the November 8 incident.

“Ang assumption natin is matindi talaga ang galit ng perpetrator sa kanya (Our assumption is the perpetrator really has a strong grudge against him),” he said.

In an interview at the Negros Press Club office on Monday, the victim’s mother Yvonne called for justice as she stressed that her son is not involved in any crime. /jpv