P500-k reward for British resort owner's killer in Negros Occidental

A P500,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the gunmen who shot dead the British owner of a resort in Negros Occidental on Monday night. Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. stressed the need to solve soonest the murder of Anthony Mitchel Nicolas before it affects the province's tourism industry. “This will affect our tourism industry, which we have been working very had to promote," he said, according to a report posted on Wednesday on the Visayan Daily Star news site. On the other hand, Western Visayas police director Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. sent some 30 Regional Mobile Group policemen to Sipalay City to augment the number of the local tourism police there. Unidentified men shot dead Nicolas, 65, a native of London, who was driving his tricycle home with his wife Judith, 60, and their helper, at around 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The Nicolas couple own the Hijo Beach Resort, the Matlag Farm House, and the Matlag Town House, all in Sipalay City. The initial investigation showed that Nicolas was already near their house at Sitio Matlag in Sipalay City when the gunmen reportedly blocked their path and shot him. Marañon said the reward will be given to anyone who can provide information that will lead to the arrest of the killers. Marañon and Sipalay City Mayor Oscar Montilla met with the foreign community there also on Tuesday. Some of the foreigners there run beach resorts in the area. The two officials assured the foreigners everything is being done to solve the killing of Nicolas and to ensure the security of all the residents. Marañon added the National Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate the incident as well. Montilla said the foreigners in Sipalay are very concerned about the death of Nicolas. “The initial report of the police shows that the killing is not insurgency-related," Montilla added. Robbery looms as the main motive The report said the armed men shot Nicolas's back, head and thigh, before pointing their gun at Judith and asked for her cell phone. When Judith could not pull the phone out of her bag fast enough, she told their helper Rona to hand the men their bag containing P20,000. After they handed the bag, Judith said another tricycle passed by prompting the gunmen to flee on foot. “If the tricycle did not pass by they would have killed me, too," she said. Judith said she did not know of any enemies who would want to kill her husband. Nicolas had lived in Sipalay City for 31 years. His three children with Judith all studied in the city before going off to college in London. The couple have three children: Anjo, 30, Joan, 26 and James, 28. James, who was visiting his parents before going to Japan, hoped that the culprits will be arrested so justice will be given to Nicolas. James believes somebody instructed the two gunmen to kill his father. Mrs. Nicolas said she and her husband had gone to get the collection for the day from the sales of their store at the market, the Matlag Town House and their resort. She said they were on their way to the Matlag Farm House when her husband was shot. Sipalay police director Chief Inspector Norberto Delmas said the British Embassy had called for details on the death of Nicholas. Delmas described the killing as an isolated incident. As of Tuesday, however, the police still had no suspects. Foreigners concerned about the killing Foreigners in Sipalay City, some of them resort owners, voiced their concern about the killing of Nicolas but said they plan to keep staying in the area. “We’re very pleased that the governor and the mayor have taken the action they’re taking (to solve the killing)…We have perfect confidence that this being handled properly," Canadian Paul Platt said. Platt said Nicholas was “a good man, a good friend, a good friend to the people and this is shocking, there is no other way to describe it. We will miss him." However, he said the killing of Nicholas will not make them leave this city. “Sipalay is our home, it is a good community, this is an extraordinary event," he said. He said he still considers Sipalay a safe place and he will continue to tell his friends and family to come and visit. “I’m going to bring my grandchildren and my entire family back here. They’ve been here before they enjoyed it. It’s a lovely place with lovely people, nothing changes, it is still a safe place," Platt said. Funeral plans Mrs. Nicolas said they will wait for her two children to arrive from London on Friday and they will have Nicolas cremated in Bacolod. “We will then bring his ashes back to Sipalay to be scattered on the farm and the beach that he so loved," she said. –VVP, GMANews.TV