Caloocan school official shot dead

MANILA, Philippines - A Caloocan City school official was shot dead by four men on two motorcycles near his house Tuesday afternoon.

Chief Inspector Rodrigo Soriano, Caloocan City police investigation chief, said Willyhardo Esponilla, 64, district custodian of the local city schools division office, died of a gunshot wound in the chest.

Soriano said Esponilla had just boarded his owner-type jeep (NRR-841) in front of his house on Nadurata street in Barangay 50 to fetch his wife, a teacher at the University of Caloocan City, when the gunmen attacked him at around 3:35 p.m.

The gunmen took Esponilla’s gold bracelet and necklace, worth a total of P50,000, and sped away. Neither of the motorcycles bore license plates.

Esponilla was rushed to the President Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Soriano said they are coordinating yesterday with owners of establishments near the crime scene to see if their surveillance cameras recorded the incident, “but it would still be hard to identify the gunmen – all of them were wearing helmets.”

Investigator recovered a used .45 caliber shell, reportedly from one of the killers’ handguns, in Esponilla’s jeep.

Senior Superintendent Jude Santos, Caloocan City police chief, directed Soriano to dig deeper into the case.