A former beauty queen was shot dead while giving instructions to a group of Miss Gay contestants at about 11:15 p.m. Friday, at the Kiwanis Stage near the Traffic Management Office at the Quezon Park, in Dumaguete City.

Police said the victim, Annrose Fe Bernadette Neri, 25, single, of Barangay Talay, in Dumaguete, was with her friends and sister, Charisse, at the Miss Gay rehearsal, when an unidentified gunman approached and shot her twice.

She was hit by a bullet of a .45 caliber pistol on the right side of her body, that exited on the left side, initial police investigation showed.

Neri, whose beauty titles include being Miss Dumaguete 2007, Miss Sibulan 2001, Hara sa Foundation University, Miss FU High School, and Buglasan Queen, was brought to the Holy Child Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Witnesses told the police the lone gunman wore a black polo shirt and camouflage pants, and was in his late 30’s. After the shooting, the perpetrator casually walked back to his TMX motorcycle which had no plate number, and sped away from the crime scene, police said.

THREATS

Neri, who is remembered by friends as fun-loving, very friendly, and a generous breadwinner of her family, had reportedly received threats to her life before the shooting, and was advised by her relatives to leave the city.

An information from her mother also revealed that three weeks ago, the threat to her daughter’s life suggested bodily harm from an individual riding on a green motorcycle.

The police are also investigating the love angle, as the victim was allegedly having an affair with an undisclosed a politician, who had given her a car. The victim’s car also got burned, investigation added.

Before the incident, Neri had also reported to the police the smashing of the windows of her Kia Sportage vehicle. The suspects remain unknown up to this time.

The police also found out that Neri was maintaining an amateur basketball team called “Vhonrey,” which is named after her son. The victim allegedly also has a boyfriend in the team.

Mayor Agustin Perdices expressed alarm over the murder, and ordered the police to use all available resources to pin down the perpetrator.

The police intelligence division headed by Inspector Pineda disclosed, the killer could be a hired gun. He is not from Dumaguete because he was bold enough to execute his orders without covering his face, and in the presence of several persons, police said.*RG/JG