BOC prober hurt in Pasay shooting

MANILA, Philippines — A Bureau of Customs (BOC) investigator was shot and wounded in the head by men riding a motorcycle in Pasay City on Monday night.

Lawyer Joseph Zapata, 30, who is with the BOC’s internal and prosecution division, was driving his sport utility vehicle along Macapagal Boulevard when he was attacked at around 5:40 p.m., the Southern Police District said in a spot report.

The suspects fled toward Manila, leaving Zapata with a gunshot wound in the head. Zapata’s car hit another vehicle, driven by a certain Windy Ochoco.

The lawyer was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The BOC vowed to exhaust all legal remedies to ensure that Zapata’s assailants are put behind bars.

“We strongly condemn this violent attack against one of our personnel and we shall use all resources available at the Bureau to make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice,” BOC spokesman Jet Maronilla told The STAR yesterday.

Maronilla said Zapata is the fifth BOC employee who was attacked by still unidentified assailants since last year.

He said the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation have leads on previous cases.

The law enforcement agencies have yet to establish the motives for the attacks, Maronilla said, noting that the latest case could be work-related.