Nephew guns down uncle

The twin brother of a former chief of police of Malabon was shot dead by his own nephew yesterday morning over an alleged family dispute in San Agustin, Malabon.

Melencio Buenaventura, 64; brother of ex-Malabon police chief, Superintendent Dante Buenaventura, sustained gunshot wounds in the body and thigh. Police are hunting down the victim’s nephew, Roberto Legaspi, 28, of Adanta St. in Barangay Tañong.

The incident occurred at about 12:35 a.m. inside the victim’s house in Sacristia st., Barangay San Agustin.

Buenaventura was sleeping in his room on the second floor when he awoke due to a commotion downstairs. He went down to check what was going on and was shocked to see Legaspi aiming a 9 mm pistol at him.

The suspect did not give Buenaventura a chance to speak, as he fired several shots at the victim, hitting him in the lower-left side of his chest and left thigh.

Witnesses said they saw Legaspi fleeing from the scene right after the shooting. The victim was rushed to the Chinese General Hospital where he died while receiving medical treatment.

Buenaventura’s estranged wife Ofelia, 50; claimed she has no idea why Legaspi killed his own uncle, although she said that Buenaventura had an argument with his sister Anita, 50, mother of the suspect.

Anita reportedly blamed the victim’s son Joey, 30, for starting the fire in a squatter’s colony in Barangay Tañong two weeks ago that killed five people and injured four others.– Matthew Estabillo