ILOILO – A 36-year-old manager of a lending company was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants in Barangay Punong Grande, Dueñas, Iloilo at around 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4.
The victim, identified only as alias “Roy,” a resident of Barangay Man-it, Passi City, was riding his motorcycle from Passi City toward Dingle town when suspects opened fire on him in front of Punong Grande Elementary School.
Dueñas Municipal Police Station chief Captain Isagani Tabares confirmed that the victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body, including the neck, back, and legs.
“He was immediately brought to the hospital in Passi City for medical attention, but he was declared dead,” Tabares said.
According to Tabares, the victim could no longer be transferred to a hospital in Iloilo City after succumbing to his injuries while receiving treatment at Don Valerio Palmares District Hospital.
Investigators are looking into work-related motives as well as personal grudges.
“We are looking into the possibility that the incident is connected to his work because he was managing a lending company. We are also not discounting the possibility of a personal grudge,” Tabares said.
He added that the attack does not appear to be a robbery, as the victim’s belongings and money were left untouched.
Police recovered the victim’s backpack containing approximately P300,000 in cash, which was not taken by the assailants.
“If robbery was the motive, the money could have been taken. However, the P300,000 remained in his possession, so we are looking at other possible motives,” Tabares explained.
Initial investigation indicates that the riding-in-tandem suspects fled towards Dingle immediately after the shooting.
Police recovered seven spent shells believed to have come from a .45-caliber pistol and four slugs at the crime scene.
Tabares said investigators are now conducting follow-up operations and gathering information that could help establish the identities of the suspects.
“We are conducting a hot pursuit operation to track down and arrest the perpetrators. We are also coordinating with concerned police units in the neighboring areas, particularly along the direction where the suspects fled,” he said.
As of this writing, the suspects remained at large, while police continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing./PN
