By Felipe V. Celino
ROXAS CITY, Capiz — Kashmar Bacarro had received a death threat prior to his killing, according to his live-in partner, Laine.
Laine said Bacarro had confided in her long ago that someone was out to kill him.
She added that the threats began two years ago, allegedly from her former husband, with whom she shares two children, aged 8 and 10.
The police are currently investigating the possible connection between Laine’s ex-husband and Bacarro’s murder.
Meanwhile, Punong Barangay Ruel Andrada of Maloloc Norte Ivisan, Capiz, confirmed that Bacarro was involved in illegal drugs in their village.
Andrada said he had spoken to Bacarro regarding his illegal activities after Bacarro’s name appeared on their drug watchlist.
The police suspect illegal drugs as the motive behind Bacarro’s killing, which occurred Thursday noon, August 15, in Barangay Punta Tabuc, Roxas City.
Police Master Sergeant Ramil Arcangeles, spokesperson for the Roxas City Police, said there was a strong possibility that illegal drugs were the reason why two suspects, riding in tandem, shot Bacarro, 32, of Barangay Maloloc Norte Ivisan, Capiz.
Bacarro was shot by one of the two unidentified suspects around 12:40 p.m. while having lunch at his live-in partner’s house in Barangay Punta Tabuc, Roxas City.
He sustained gunshot wounds to the left side of his head and chest.
Police investigation revealed that Bacarro was seen talking on his cellphone while on the road, as captured by a CCTV camera provided by the city government.
A few minutes later, two suspects on a motorcycle arrived. The back rider got off the motorcycle and quickly proceeded to the victim’s house.
Within about 10 seconds, the suspect returned to the motorcycle, where the driver was waiting, and they fled in an unknown direction.
Bacarro was taken to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending doctor.
Arcangeles noted that Bacarro had been arrested and jailed several times for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Bacarro was first arrested in 2016 in Barangay Punta Tabuc. He was released after availing of a plea bargaining agreement.
The second arrest occurred in 2019 in Balasan, Iloilo, where he was jailed but later released for unspecified reasons.
In 2023, he was arrested again at his house in Maloloc Norte Ivisan through a search warrant conducted by Ivisan PNP. He was reportedly released after posting bail.
At the crime scene, police recovered a sachet of suspected shabu that Bacarro was holding before he was shot. They also found seven empty shells and a slug from a .45 caliber firearm.
The police are continuing their investigation to identify and apprehend the suspects.
