2 dead, 4 hurt in attack at Malabon wake

MANILA, Philippines - Two men were killed and four other persons were wounded when two unidentified men shot at people attending a wake in Barangay Potrero, Malabon City early yesterday morning.

The two men arrived on a motorcycle a few minutes after 1 a.m. and started shooting at a group who were milling in front of a house where a wake was being held.

Virgilio Mariano, 56, was declared dead on arrival at the Our Lady of Fatima University, while Samuel Pastor, 23, died on the way to the Valenzuela Medical Center.

Jesusa Tan, 46; Cecile Tupaz, 31; Rodrigo Mendoza, 50; and Teofilo Angeles Jr., 34, were confined in a hospital from gunshot wounds.

Election-related?

Senior Police Officer 1 Edsel dela Paz said they are still facing a blank wall as to the motive of the shooting, but did not rule out the possibility that the incident was election-related because Malabon Councilor Eddie Nolasco was among the people who were at the wake during the attack.

Dela Paz said Nolasco, father of Barangay Potrero chairman Sheryl Nolasco, was seen talking with Angeles minutes before the gunmen arrived. The councilor was just several meters away from the victims when the two men started firing, he added.

According to a source, Nolasco had reportedly been receiving death threats even prior to the election. Dela Paz said Angeles, who was also involved in barangay politics, could also be the target but “nothing is conclusive unless we are done with the investigation.”

Investigators recovered four .45 caliber shells from the crime scene, but Dela Paz said they could have recovered more if the bystanders did not contaminate the evidence.

Last Nov. 7, a supporter of a barangay candidate in North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS) was killed and six others were wounded when four armed men on two motorcycles arrived at a birthday party and shot at guests.

On Oct. 28, a 20-year-old niece of a candidate for barangay chairman was also killed in front of their political headquarters in NBBS when two armed men shot at his supporters.

Residents in the area believe both attacks were politically motivated.