Mine operator killed in Bulacan

SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan – A big-time mining operator here was killed in an ambush on Sunday night, less than three months after he survived a similar attempt.

Engineer Constantino Pascual, 57, was on board his red Toyota Vios van (XLL-300) when two motorcycle riding men came from behind and started pumping bullets from their .45 caliber handguns.

Pascual was the president and chief operating officer of the Rosemoor Mining and Development Corp. (Rosemoor) that obtained a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to extract exotic tea rose marble near the Biak-na-Bato National Park mineral reservation area.

However, Rosemoor’s mining operations has been stopped by DENR at the height of the Biak-na-Bato controversy in 2006.

According to Superintendent Rommel Salac, the chief of police of this town, the victim was on his way home to Barangay Salangan here, after attending an afternoon Mass at the San Miguel Church with his wife Zenaida and son Ricky.

Police said that the Pascuals stopped at Jogi’s Chicharon Store to buy some pasalubongs, when two motorcycle riding men came from behind and started firing at the victim.

Pascual was rushed to the Emmanuel Vera Hospital here but was pronounced dead on arrival by attending physicians.

His wife and son were unhurt.

Senior Superintendent Alle Bantolo, the acting provincial police director of Bulacan told The STAR that there is a possibility that the suspects were professional hired killers.

Bantolo recounted that on March 23, Pascual and his wife barely escaped a similar ambush attempt after parking their van inside their garage.

Two men on board a motorcycle fired at the Pascuals, but missed.  The earlier attempt left eight bullet holes into the Pascuals’ car.

After the first incident, Pascual told Bulacan reporters that he was being targeted for assassination.

As president of Rosemoor, Pascual spoke openly against a number of high government officials in Bulacan.

He even went to the extent of filing a number of charges against local officials, many of whom are still pending.

Pascual was the second tea rose marble quarry operator killed here in five years.