Veteran prison official slain

He spent most of his life in the prison service and now investigators believe he may have been killed because of his work.

Senior Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official Francisco Abunales, 62, was on his way to work at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City when he was gunned down at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Abunales, who was relieved recently as head of the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, was shot at least thrice as he drove his Pajero out of his house at Vicar Village on the NBP compound, said Muntinlupa police chief Senior Supt. Roque Vega.

According to Vega, two unidentified men opened fire on the victim’s vehicle before fleeing on a motorcycle. Abunales’ son rushed out of their house with a gun when he heard the gunshots. He fired at the gunmen but ended up hitting and wounding a bystander, Jose Navorte.

The victim and Navorte were brought to Muntinlupa Medical Center where the BuCor official died around 9:30 a.m., Vega said. Navorte, on the other hand, was reported to be in stable condition.

The police believe the motive for Abunales’ killing was related to his work. He had been with BuCor for around 30 years before his death but he and 13 others were suspended and charged administratively after an inmate bolted from Sablayan Prison, said NBP superintendent Venancio Tesoro.

The jailbreak went undetected until the escapee identified as Ronald Ho—a maximum security compound inmate charged with two counts of homicide and murder—was shot dead in Sablayan town proper by unidentified assailants on June 14.

Since he was relieved of his post and placed on floating status, Abunales had been reporting to Tesoro’s office while waiting for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to complete its investigation into Ho’s escape and death.

Only last week, the DOJ ordered Abunales and the other respondents to answer the charges filed against them, the BuCor said in a statement.

Tesoro, who was good friends with Abunales, said he did not know of any enemies the victim may have made because of his work.

“We talk in my office every morning. We discuss his plans for the prison such as a mushroom farm for the inmates. He has never mentioned any threats or harassment. Otherwise, he could have easily asked me for a security detail,” Tesoro added.