Businessman killed, robbed in Negros Occidental home

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines — A businessman was found dead inside his house on Emerald Street, City Heights, Bacolod City, on Thursday morning.

Nelson Palencia, 57, who was into the construction business, suffered multiple head injuries caused by a blunt and sharp object, said Chief Inspector Charles Gever, the Bacolod Police Station 6 commander.

His body was discovered by his wife, Gene, in their bedroom at about 6:45 a.m. when she went to their bedroom to check on her husband after she fell asleep while watching television in another room.

Gene is the daughter of Enrique Rojas, the president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters.  The Palencias have three daughters and one son.

Police said they were looking at robbery as motive in the killing because the safety deposit box, an undetermined amount of cash and a Toyota Fortuner of the victim were missing.

Rojas said he and 13 members of his family were in Manila heading for Hong Kong when they were informed that his son-in-law was killed.

He said his son-in-law was a cancer survivor.

Palencia was discovered to have stage four prostrate cancer that had spread to his lungs but had recovered, Rojas said.  SFM