1 dies in botched robbery in Tondo

MANILA, Philippines - Three still unidentified armed men held up a delivery van in Tondo, Manila Tuesday night resulting in the death of the driver and the serious wounding of his male assistant.

Dead on arrival at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center was Vincent Fragata, 37, driver of Caze Mart Forwarders.

He sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the body. Noel Malinao, 27, assistant driver of the same forwarder, is under observation at the hospital for a gunshot wound in the neck.

According to Manila Police District’s homicide section Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo the victims had just delivered their cargo somewhere in Tondo when three armed men on board a galvanized motorized tricycle blocked the path of their delivery van (WSN-825) at the corner of Del Fiero and Juan Luna streets in Gagalangin, Tondo.

The suspects approached the van and announced the holdup, and out of fear the driver stepped on the gas. The suspects fired successive shots hitting the victims which caused the van to collide with a parked Mercedes Benz. The suspects escaped on the same tricycle toward unknown destination. Responding bystanders rushed the victims to the hospital.

Police are still conducting investigation in the place of incident to determine the identities of the suspects. – Nestor Etolle