Japanese restaurant owner killed outside his apartment

A Japanese man, who owned a restaurant in Mandaue City, was shot dead at the gate of his rented apartment in sitio Orel, Banilad, Cebu City Tuesday dawn.

The 36-year-old Tarro Suda, had just arrived in his place, opened the gate then returned to his car to drive it into his garage but two men on a motorcycle arrived and fired shots at him.

A witness said tt was the motorcycle driver who shot first the Japanese several times. When Suda fell, the motorcycle backrider fired more shots at the victim, and the two unidentified assailants sped off.

There were two other men on a motorcycle nearby, and the witness said they could be companions of the assailants because all of them left drove off right after the shooting.

Casuntingan policeman, PO2 Rey Manatad, said the faces of the four men were covered with the so-called “ski masks” so the witness had failed to catch a glimpse of their identities.

Manatad said the Suda had several gunshot wounds in various parts of his body and was declared dead on arrival by a physician at the North General Hospital in barangay Talamban.

Initial investigation of the police stated that Suda, who operated Kamitose Restaurant at barangay Cabancalan in Mandaue City, had recently broken up with his live-in partner and has been living alone in the rented apartment since.

The police are now looking into either business rivalry or love triangle as possible motives in the killing of the Japanese bachelor. — Flor Z. Perolina/RAE