By Glazyl Masculino
BACOLOD CITY - A suspected drug pusher was found dead in a vacant lot in Barangay Mansilingan here early Thursday, eight hours after he was allegedly abducted by four unidentified armed men on board a pick-up truck at Barangay 3 here last Wednesday night.
Killed was Richard Tutop, 33, of Barangay 3.
Maj. Carmelo Nermal, head of Police Station 7, said the abduction happened while Tutop was sitting on his motorcycle outside his residence.
The armed men , all wearing face masks, arrived and forced him to ride the vehicle.
The following day, his body was found with multiple gunshot wounds on the head. His hands were tied with tape and belt and his mouth was covered with tape.
A security guard of a nearby residential village allegedly saw a sedan and heard gunshots in the area.
Recovered from the scene were some fired cartridges of .45 caliber.
Nermal said they are looking at drugs as the possible motive behind the killing, adding that the victim was previously arrested for illegal drugs in 2017 and was released from jail in October, 2019, after he availed of the plea bargaining.
He said the victim might have been involved in a failed illegal drug transaction. Police have no lead yet on the identities of the perpetrators.
Maj. Sherlock Gabana, head of Police Station 2, said Tutop was probably supposed to meet someone for a transaction that day.
He said the victim was listed under their drugs watch list after learning he allegedly returned in the illegal drug trade.
He said they have been monitoring him since he was released from jail last year.