By Jennifer P. Rendon
A Pakistani-Filipino businessman in Iloilo City was gunned down evening of October 9, 2021 at Fort San Pedro area, City Proper, Iloilo City.
Hamza Zubair Kayani, 31, was killed in a drive-by shooting perpetrated by two motorcycle-riding suspects.
Kayani a resident of RVSP Condominium in Molo, Iloilo City, succumbed to fatal wounds on the head.
Captain Shella Mae Sangrines, Iloilo City Police Station 1 (ICPS1) chief, said the suspects appeared to have stabbed Kayani on the back also.
“Gin-finishing pa sya kuno,” Sangrines said referring to finishing shots on the victim.
Investigation showed that Kayani was with his “partner,” 13-year-old Casey (not her real name) and a 15-year-male chaperone when the incident happened.
The girl told investigators that they went to the breakwater area of the domestic port to catch some fresh air while waiting for a tarpaulin job. The tarpaulin was supposed to be used for a Christian service last Sunday.
The trio were onboard Kayani’s silver Mitsubishi Montero Sports SUV (license plate DAA 5310).
The girl and her teenager companion alighted from the vehicle while Kayani had just gotten off when the suspects went near the driver’s side.
A village watchman who was roving in the area claimed to have heard five successive gunfire. They then saw the two teenagers asking for help.
Kayani was rushed to St. Paul’s Hospital where he expired.
Sangrines said they are looking at several angles behind Kayani’s assassination.
Before his death, Kayani has been posting statements on his Facebook account pointing to a family conflict.
Some of Kayani’s friends had claimed that he had been getting deaths threats prior to his death.
“His criminal involvement in the past is also being looked into,” Sangrines said.
On top of that, the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has considered Kayani as a high-value individual (HVI) drug personality.
Investigators are not discounting the possibility that the suspects could be hired gunmen.
PRIOR INFRACTIONS
Kayani has been a subject of a police raid on his house at Barangay Tanza-Esperanza, City Proper, Iloilo City on Aug. 23, 2018 for alleged violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).
Recovered during the operation were a caliber .45 pistol (serial number 831472), magazine and 10 ammunition for caliber .45 pistol, two magazine assemblies and 40 live ammunition for caliber 5.56mm rifle, a wood stick, black tube containing rifle grenade, mobile phone box with 16 sachets of suspected shabu, five sachets with suspected shabu residue, plastic sachets, and assorted shabu paraphernalia.
But Kayani denied that he owned the firearms, grenade and shabu, and shabu paraphernalia recovered during the police operation.
He insisted on being a legitimate businessman with no illegal dealings.
As witnesses attested that the suspect had been arrogantly dealing with police, he also threatened arresting officers that he would get back at them.
He even boasted of making the best baby back ribs in Iloilo City.
“But an hour after we raided his houses, he began crying hysterically. Siguro, na-realize n’ya kung gaano kabigat ang kaso n’ya and there’s no way for him to escape prison,” Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Pablito, former ICPS1 chief, said.
Members of the Iloilo City Emergency Responders (ICER) took him to West Visayas State University Medical Center for examination. It was later recommended that he be placed on hospital arrest for high blood pressure.
At that time, Colonel Henry Biñas, then ICPO chief, confirmed that Kayani is on the watchlist of illegal drug personalities.
There were also allegations that he used to be connected with slain suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta, Sr.
But Biñas said they could not confirm nor deny reports that Kayani was part of a drug group in Iloilo City.
Kayani was also accused of threatening several persons. He allegedly bragged being the kumpare of former PNP chief and now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Pablito said a mother of a 15-year-old girl complained to his office that Kayani has been holding her daughter against her will.
Kayani hired the girl as his secretary. The mother later suspected that an illicit relationship had been brewing between the two.
She then went to Kayani and told the latter that she would take her daughter home.
But Kayani allegedly threatened her and showed her photo of him with dela Rosa.
The woman went home without her daughter. She lodged a complaint on July 20 at ICPS1.
Pablito said they conducted several rescue efforts to get the girl.
They went to several hotels and houses where Hamza may have kept the teenager.
Police finally got a lead after the girl sent a text message to her mother about her location.
At that time, Kayani was not home. Kayani allegedly forced her to have sex with him.
“We rescued her at Kayani’s house where the raid also occurred,” Pablito said.
Cases for three counts of rape and serious illegal detention were filed against the businessman.
Kayani’s employee and two village officials were also charged for obstruction of justice after they allegedly tried to hide the girl when police were looking for her.
When the operation was conducted, police also saw three teenage girls at Kayani’s house.
But they denied that they were forced into working for the businessman.
It was also coincidental that Kayani’s former secretary went to his office and accused the suspect of grave threats.
MOTEL MURDER
Kayani was charged for murder relative to the death of Rogelio Amil, 32, of Ticud village, La Paz who was killed inside the Q Motel in La Paz, Iloilo City evening of Sept. 13, 2015.
Amil’s companion in the motel, Lovely Mae Provido of Deca Homes Subdivision in Pandac village, Pavia, Iloilo was considered an accomplice of Kayani, but the case against her was later dropped.
A John Doe was also charged in the case.
Prior to the shooting episode, police investigation indicated that Provido flagged down a taxi cab along E. Lopez St., Jaro district. She allegedly then fetched Amil in front of St. Clement’s Church in Luna St., La Paz before heading to the motel.
As they entered the motel, the woman noticed a black Chevrolet pickup truck (registration plate HZK-888) tailing them.
Shortly later, a man went out of the pickup truck and knocked on the taxi driver’s window while threatening the cabbie with a handgun.
This prompted Amil and the woman to alight from the cab which immediately drove out of the motel.
Witnesses said there was a commotion between the armed man and the victim before a single shot was heard.
But in a radio interview three days later, Kayani denied the accusations against him.
“Wala ko labot sa amo na nga krimen,” he said.
He also asked the authorities and the witnesses to prove their claims.
Kayani said he did not use his pickup truck because it was under repair in Jaro.
On February 2016, reports surfaced that Kayani was arrested in Gen. Santos City.
Local police reportedly collared him the previous month but the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and the La Paz Police Station confirmed to have not been informed about Kayani’s arrest.
It was presumed that only the court was informed about his arrest.
But instead of putting him in jail, Kayani was also put under hospital arrest.
There, he allegedly fled.
He managed to settle the case while at large.
Prior to that, Kayani was also involved in the shooting of a water delivery man in East Timawa village, Molo on Nov. 10, 2014.
He allegedly went berserk and shot the man after the latter allegedly pocketed a P1,000 bill.
Kayani was not charged after the victim, Joemarie Arcones, did not pursue any criminal case.
