Bizman shot dead in Barangay Carmen

ROBBERY incidents in Cagayan de Oro City has now reportedly reached an alarming level after another businessman was shot dead Friday by a motorcycle-riding suspect who took the latter’s undetermined amount of cash.

The suspect, whom witnesses said was wearing a bull cap, shot Raul P. Tan, 61, and took his bag with the money.

Police said Tan has been in the foreign and local exchange business for a long time in the city. He succumbed to four gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.

Tan was rushed to a nearby hospital but died later, the police added.

Also injured in the incident was Mar L. Orsabia, 25, a resident of Barangay Tagpangi and the driver of C’Amalia taxi. Orsabia was hit in his left shoulder.

Taxi driver Mar L. Orsabia is now recuperating in a hospital. He sustained a gunshot wound in his left shoulder. (Joey P. Nacalaban)

Senior Police Officer 2 Fernando Laspoña said the incident happened around 8:30 a.m., just a few meters away from the victim’s house at China Village in Zayas, Barangay Carmen.

Investigation showed that Tan was shot four times inside the taxi when he was about to go on his usual business.

Witnesses said the suspect fled with the victim’s cash onboard an orange motorcycle with no plate number.

Police recovered four empty shells of 9mm, a .45 caliber pistol owned by the victim, and the robber’s bull cap.

“Wala masayod ang iyang asawa kung pila ang dala nga kwarta sa iyang bana so dili pud kita makasulti kung pila ang kantidad nga nadala sa tulisan,” Laspoña told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

Based on the accounts of witnesses, Tan was shot first by the suspect then took his bag with the money. However, according to the victim’s brother-in-law, the suspect shot Tan when he refused to give his bag.

“Lain-lain ang mga statement pero dunay duha ka mga witness ang gikuhaan na sa ilang statement labina sa description sa suspetsado,” Laspoña said.

Friday’s robbery was the fifth incident for this week alone.

Lawyer Ricardo Diaz, regional director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), meanwhile, was alarmed over the series of robbery in the city but he assured they would step in the investigation if the victims would seek the NBI’s help.

“Lahat naman siguro ay naa-alarma na rin, of course, we are willing to help kung may lalapit sa amin,” Diaz told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.