A 40-year-old motorcycle-for-hire driver has been shot dead along N. Bacalso Avenue, Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City, at 12:40 a.m. today, December 6, 2019. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — An Angkas driver is allegedly a person of interest in the killing of a habal-habal or motorcycle-for-hire driver at past midnight today, December 6, 2019, along Natalio Bacalso Avenue in Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City.
Police Lieutenant Colonel John Kareen Escober, Pardo Police chief, said in an interview at Cebu City Hall that Joel Apor, 40, of Barangay Kinasang-an, Cebu City might have been shot dead because of a personal grudge.
The victim’s wife told Escober that the day before (December 5), Apor had an argument allegedly with an Angkas driver in Panagdait Road in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
Escober said that this was the most significant incident leading to the shooting because it happened a day before the killing.
He said that this was the reason the Angkas driver was a person of interest in the case.
He, however, said that they could only identify the Angkas driver and invite him to the station for questioning unless there would be
The Pardo police chief said investigation showed that Apor, who was eating with his wife in an establishment along N. Bacalso Avenue, was shot by two gunmen, who arrived in a motorcycle at 12:40 a.m.
The assailants got off the motorcycle approached Apor and shot him while he and his wife were waiting for the food they ordered to arrive. The assailants then got on their motorcycle and fled.
Escober said that empty shells of a 9 mm pistol were recovered at the crime scene.
The police chief said that Apor, who was the head of the habal-habal group in the Panagdait area, last December 5 allegedly argued with an Angkas driver, whom he tried to shoo away because he claimed that the Angkas driver was taking the passengers of the habal-habal drivers in the area.
Escober said that the argument ended with both drivers exchanging blows.
Police were trying to identify the Angkas driver and locate him.
Escober also said that they were also trying to secure footage of security cameras in establishments near the crime scene that might help them identify the assailants./dbs