By ACE ALEGRE

La Trinidad, Benguet — A notorious gun-for-hire, wanted by authorities for at least 17 murder cases, was himself gunned down at close range while enroute to the arraignment of his case for illegal possession of firearms at around 9:30 AM August 23.

uspecting revenge as the most probable motive behind Jomar Bersalona’s assassination, Cordillera Police director Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong described that a daring assassin closed in and shot him while aboard a police vehicle bringing him to the Justice Hall in Bangued, Abra’s capital town, for his arraignment on illegal possession of firearms charge.

Bersalona, 32, who is reportedly under the ward of an influential town official cum political warlord, with one were apprehended by policemen while in a bar on a drinking spree.

His daringness accounts for his boss’ deep connections that frees him everytime he is caught by the police, Magalong said lamenting. “But they will soon end,” he warns.

Earlier, Magalong declared he will run tooth-for-a-tooth against private armed groups in Abra in a no nonsense drive to finally end the culture of impunity and violence in the province.

Bersalona, a resident of Banacao, Bangued and his companion Jojo Delos Santos, 25 yrs old, single and a resident of Agtangao, also in Bangued were due for another “P30,000 contract to kill” on that day they were nabbed, said Magalong.

A villager tipped the duo off to police, hence their arrest. A Norinco caliber 45 pistol with PNP markings and bearing serial number BA03735 with 1 magazine loaded with 7 bullets was seized from Bersalona on August 17 while a COLT MK IV caliber 45 pistol bearing serial number 205828 with a magazine loaded with 5 ammunitions was seized from delos Santos.

Bersalona’s end came a week after and sustained a lone gunshot wound from a still unknown caliber, Magalong said.

Aside from a series of shooting incidents including the incident at Cebuana Lhuiller Taft St, Zone 5, Mega Centrum Zone, and another shooting incident on February 9, this year at Calaba Bridge, all in Bangued, Abra Bersalona is involved in a dozen more hired killings, Cordillera police claims. # nordis.net