Photo courtesy of Consolacion Police Station
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police are eyeing robbery as the possible motive in the death of a businessman in Consolacion town, northern Cebu on Friday evening, November 6.
The victim, identified as Ray Godines Yuson, 39, and a resident of Barangay Jubay in the neighboring town of Liloan, was killed past 9 p.m. on Friday while inside his pick-up truck that was parked near a motel in Barangay Pitogo, Consolacion.
Police Major Verniño Noserale, chief of Consolacion Police Station, suspects that a robbery group was behind Yuson’s death since the victim’s bag containing his wallet was missing.
Quoting their initial findings and witnesses’ accounts, Noserale said that Yuson was accompanied by a still-unidentified woman while he drove on his way to the motel.
Shortly before entering the motel’s premises, a gunman on board a motorcycle stopped right beside Yuson’s vehicle, opened the door on the driver’s side, and shot him several times.
Yuson sustained bullet wounds on his face. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but attending physicians said that he was already dead, police said.
“Based on our initial investigations, an unidentified woman happened to be the gunman’s passenger. The woman inside the victim’s vehicle also fled the crime scene together with the two other suspects,” said Noserale.
“We suspected that this is robbery because the victim’s sling bag, where his wallet and identification cards are stored, is missing,” he added.
Police said they continue to gather information on Yuson’s background. They have also been in contact with his wife, who told police investigators that she was aware of her husband’s extra-marital affairs.
“It could be that the gunman and the two other women had information about his identity and his activities. Maybe they set him up by luring him,” said Noserale.
“But we’re still conducting further investigation on this one. We’re not singling out any possible motives. As of the moment, we’re gathering CCTV (closed-circuit television) footages near the crime scene,” he added.
Consolacion is a first-class municipality located approximately 20 kilometers north of Cebu City. /dcb