2 killed, 1 wounded in San Miguel ambush

MALOLOS CITY — A businessman and his driver were killed in an early morning ambush at San Miguel town while another was wounded yesterday while on their way to Manila to deliver pastillas products to Goldilocks.

Police Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian, OIC provincial police director identified the victims as Francisco dela Cruz, 34, a businessman, and his driver Alex Placio 34, both of Bgy. Buliran, San Miguel town.

Another victim identified as Arnel Ramos, 31, a truck helper and resident of Bgy. Sta. Ines in the same town was wounded with a gunshot in the leg.

Police said that the victims were on board an Isuzu Elf truck on their way to Manila to deliver pastillas products to Goldilocks when an owner type jeep with three men on board blocked their path at Bgy. Buliran around 1:30 a.m. yesterday.

Investigating team led by Superintendent Rommel Salac, the chief of police of San Miguel said that when the Elf truck stopped, the suspects alighted from their vehicle and shot the victims at close range.

Salac said that Dela Cruz died on the spot due to gun-shot wounds he sustained in different parts of his body, while Placio died upon arrival at the San Miguel District Hospital.

Gatchalian ruled out the possibility of robbery as there no product from the victims’ vehicle were taken by the suspects.

"Maaring old grudge yung motibo," he told The STAR in an interview yesterday morning at Camp General Alejo Santos here.

However, Salac said that they are also looking at the possibility of love triangle as the motive for the killing.

As a pastillas manufacturer in San Miguel town, Dela Cruz and his family is one of the many manufacturers in the said town supplying pastillas to Goldilocks for years.

Pastillas, a soft candy made from carabao’s milk is the main product of San Miguel.

Police recovered 21 empty shells from a caliber .45 pistol from the crime scene.

The ambush is the fifth unsolved killing in San Miguel since Dec. 30 last year that left at least eight people dead including three former barangay chairmen.