Communications firm owner shot dead in La Loma

Police are now hunting two unidentified armed men after they robbed and shot dead the other day in Quezon City the Chinese owner of a communications firm.

Victim Abraham Yap, 36, of 101, 4th St., New Manila, Barangay Mariana, owner of Uno Communication Inc., sustained bullet wounds in the body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Chinese General Hospital.

The killers, both armed with handguns of still unknown calibers fled on board their motorcycle with the fatal weapons. They took Yap’s laptop computer with them.

Investigators said that the two men planned to rob Yap’s closed establishment, but when the victim refused to unlock the doors, they opened fire.

Reports showed that the incident took place at about 4 p.m. right in front of the Uno Communications office at 33 Macopa St., La Loma, Quezon City.

Yap had just closed the shop and was on his way to his car when the two robbers, on board a black motorcycle with no plates, blocked his path.

The robbers pulled out their handguns and demanded that Yap re-open the shop. When the businessman refused, the two pumped four bullets into the victim’s back, which exited through his chest.

They then took his laptop computer and immediately fled the scene, leaving the bleeding victim sprawled on the ground. He was brought to the hospital where he expired at about 4:20 pm.

Operatives of the Central Police District are now conducting follow-up operations to determine the identities of the two men and their whereabouts.

Meanwhile, a 31 year-old taxi driver was stabbed dead by his neighbor in front of his house in Quezon City the other night after he failed to pay back his debt.

Carlos Bogtong, a resident of 145 Sitio Mendez, Baesa, Quezon City suffered a stab wound in the chest and was declared dead on arrival at the city’s general hospital.

The suspect, identified only as Undong, fled right after the killing, taking with him the fatal weapon.

Bogtong’s wife Hilda said that she heard her husband screaming for help outside their house at about 7 p.m. When she went out to check she found him bleeding profusely on the floor with a stab wound in his chest.

Reports said that Bogtong was stabbed after he failed to pay back a loan he owed Undong.

In Manila, an alleged Sputnik Gang member, allegedly responsible for holdup incidents in the vicinity of the Manila City Hall, was finally arrested by operatives of the Western Police District-Special Operations Group (WPD-SOG) Sunday night.

WPD-SOG operations head Chief Inspector Antonio Entico identified the suspect as Ricky Maly, 25, of Lapu-Lapu st., Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City. Recovered from Maly were a fan knife, a cellular phone, a wristwatch, cash and several ATM cards and IDs.

The suspect was positively identified by two of his recent victims who were robbed of their belongings while walking along P. Burgos street in front of the Manila City Hall Saturday and Sunday nights.

Maly’s latest victim, a certain Jim Villanueva, immediately sought the assistance of the SOG operatives based at the Manila City Hall after he was held-up at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Accompanied by Entico and his men, Villanueva led police to the area where they chanced upon the suspect who scampered away after seeing the lawmen. Maly was however apprehended after a brief chase.

WPD-SOG chief Superintendent Ernesto Ibay said Maly was the subject of several complaints of robbery by commuters passing the vicinity of the Manila City Hall. Ibay also tasked Entico to deploy three plainclothes policemen near the vicinity of the Manila City Hall to protect the public against muggers and holdup men especially at night. – Matthew Estabillo and Nestor Etolle