2 in Bacolod doctor’s slay tied to other killings

BACOLOD CITY—The two suspects in the killing of a doctor here are being investigated for possible involvement in another killing, this time of a call center agent in September 2011.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo de la Paz, Bacolod City police director, said the manner in which Dr. Andres Gumban was killed was similar to that of the killing of Ian Sherwin Sandoval, 34, a call center agent.

Sandoval’s body was found with at least 16 stab wounds in a pension house here on Sept. 18, 2011. His killing remains unsolved.

De la Paz said police are now investigating the link between Gumban’s and Sandoval’s killings.

The suspects in Gumban’s killing—Fof Pascual, 18, and a 16-year-old—used a cell phone to video Gumban as he lay dying. The video showed the 16-year-old smiling with the dying doctor in the background.

Gumban met the 16-year-old through Facebook in March and invited him to his house in Barangay (village) Alijis last week.

Police are investigating if the suspects in Gumban’s killing were male prostitutes who preyed on homosexuals.

Yet another homosexual was found dead with stab wounds near this city’s port past 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

Police chief De la Paz identified the victim as Eddie Bolatayo, 21, of Barangay Canturay. Bolatayo, De la Paz said, was stabbed 21 times. Police found a stab wound in his testicles, too, said De la Paz.

The city police chief, however, said he did not see any connection between the killing of Bolatayo and Gumban’s case.

He said he did not believe there was a group or individual in Bacolod out to kill gays.