Murder of Jimmy Punzalan

by ALEX P. VIDAL

The place where ex-army constable and prominent Iloilo contractor Jimmy Punzalan was murdered about 9 o’clock in the evening on August 7, was dimly-lit and a perfect crime scene.  

 
It was there where I last saw him around 7:30 in the evening weeks before his assailants peppered him with bullets believed to be coming from baby armalite riffles. Punzalan was pronounced dead on arrival at the Don Benito Memorial Hospital in Jaro district with gunshot wounds in the head and hand.

 
The shooting reportedly occurred near the parking area, at the back of his kiosk-typed seafood restaurant, Papa Jim Sea Bounty, in the Boliland Garden in Brgy. Bolilao, Mandurriao district. A cashier in his restaurant, Shirly Cortez, 38, was also treated in the hospital for bullet wound in the side of her body. 
In that chance meeting, Punzalan, 57, a friend since the time of Mayor Mansueto Malabor in the 1990’s, informed me he owned the first of the multi-door eatery garden. He just arrived from a regular coffee session with friends at SM City.

 
Mandurriao police probers led by  deputy chief, Senior Insp. Nestor Santasierra are still piecing the puzzles and gathering testimonies of witnesses. Several angles surfaced hours after Punzalan was declared dead by attending physicians.  As incumbent president of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) Association of Western Visayas, Punzalan, who owned the Brumax Construction hardware in Brgy. Cubay, Jaro, had connections in the police and military as well as big politicians. He was a closed ally of former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr. and Malabor.

 
One time when I interviewed Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier, brother of assassinated former Gov. Evelio, he took a deep breath and murmured unprintables when he heard Punzalan’s name. Punzalan was one of the two men mentioned by Oscar Tiauson, accused-turned-witness in the Javier killing on Feb. 6, 1986, who brought M-16 and Browning automatic riffles to the house of then Assemblyman Arturo Pacificador. Punzalan denied the allegation and was cleared in the brutal political killing that helped trigger the EDSA Revolution that toppled Marcos.   

 
Among the angles being pursued by investigators in Punzalan’s murder are “vendetta” and “personal grudges”.  Even if he was associated with Gonzalez and Malabor, Punzalan also had ties with other politicians; thus, he never had serious enmity with political personalities. 

 
Sources said Punzalan earned the ire of a not-so-prominent gambling lord whose residence was recently raided by elements of the Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Intelligence Division. The gambling lord also had a falling out with Gonzalez, whose son, Raul Jr. ran and lost to Rep. Jerry Trenas in the recent elections. The gambling lord reportedly backed Trenas.  Punzalan was reportedly suspected as one of those who tipped off authorities about the illegal gambling activities. Other angles are business and personal motives.

 
Punzalan was also a cockfighting aficionado and a habitue of known cockpit areas in and outside the city.  He had friends from all walks of life, so to speak, because of his “Robin Hood” style. “He eats with friends and shares his blessings,” quipped one media character, who was a regular beneficiary of his benevolence./MP