Slay suspect's father shot dead; cops eye camp of ex-starlet's slain husband

MANILA, Philippines - The father of a man earlier implicated in the murder of former starlet Katrina Paula’s husband was gunned down near his house in Quezon City before noon yesterday.

Esteban Henares, 54, died on the spot due to gunshot wounds from a .45-caliber handgun, said Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo Jr., commander of the Quezon City Police District-Station 3.

Pedrozo said Henares was crossing Tandang Sora Avenue outside the San Pedro 4 Subdivision when two men on a scooter approached him at 11:20 a.m. One of them pulled out a gun and shot him repeatedly before speeding away. The attackers were wearing bonnets and are still unidentified.

In an interview, Pedrozo said they were investigating the possibility that yesterday’s shooting could be related to a murder case filed against Henares’ son, Steve, in connection with the killing of businessman Anthony Yap, the former starlet’s husband.

“They (Henares’ family) are accusing the camp of Yap ... They said no other person could have done it since the victim had no other enemy,” Pedrozo said.

Based on the account of Henares’ family, Pedrozo said the victim was the one attending the hearings for his son’s trial.

The younger Henares was charged with murder for the killing of Yap last December, with the police pointing to a reported rift between the two after Yap found out that Steve had been contacting his wife.

In July last year, Yap survived being shot at while he was in his parked car, which was in front of a bar he co-owned.

Yap then filed attempted murder charges against the younger Henares after investigators traced the license plate of the attacker’s vehicle to him.