By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered Bacolod City Police chief, Colonel Henry Biñas to conduct an in-depth probe on the shooting to death of former basketball player and former Barangay 35 captain Manuel “Maui” Huelar on Thursday afternoon.
Huelar, 48, a popular basketball player of the defunct Negros Slashers was shot dead in a fitness gym along Margarita street in Barangay Villamonte past 4 p.m. Thursday.
Leonardia said he was also surprised when he learned of Huelar’s death from Biñas.
He said he directed Biñas to prioritize the investigation on the case adding that it is too early to speculate on the motive.
Leonardia said he also asked Biñas how armed suspects entered the city considering that there are checkpoints in strategic areas in the city due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
Initial police investigation revealed that Huelar asked the owner of the fitness gym if he could exercise there as he was not feeling well.
But when Huelar was about to start his workout, he received a call on his mobile phone and went out to answer it.
As he was answering the call outside the gym, a man in gray T-shirt reportedly shot him twice at close range.
Huelar succumbed to a fatal wound in the chest and one in the neck, police investigation showed.
Recovered at the crime scene were two empty shells of .45-caliber ammunition.
Crime Laboratory personnel recovered the victim’s belongings and wallet containing cash and identification cards and a .45-caliber Armscor pistol with magazines, and ammunition.
Huelar was apprehended by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives together with two members of prominent families in the city during a drug buy-bust operation in a hotel at Barangay Singcang-Airport here several years back.
While detention, Huelar executed a sworn statement linking several politicians, including former Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and his wife Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (4th district) to the illegal drug trade in 2017.
Lacson, Marañon and the Ferrers denied the charges and filed complaints against Huelar.
In December 2018, Huelar was released after a plea bargaining agreement and was taken into custody by former Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña.
He used to stay in Pulupandan together with alleged Berya drug group bagman Ricky Sereno who was also taken into custody by Peña.
Sereno was also shot dead early this year while on his way back to Pulupandan after visiting his family in this city.
