A SOLDIER was killed while playing billiard in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, police reported on Tuesday, October 24.

The Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula (Western Mindanao) reported the incident happened around 12:10 a.m., Tuesday, at a billiard hall at Urro corner Bana Streets in the village of Santa Maria, Pagadian City.

The police identified the victim as Corporal Rhufel Lihay-Lihay, 39, who was assigned with the Civil-Military Office (CMO) of the Army’s First Infantry Division.

The police said that initial investigation showed that Lihay-Lihay was playing billiard at Fontanilla’s residence when two gunmen appeared and repeatedly shot him at closed range.

The police said the victim fell dead while the suspects fled aboard a motorcycle.

Responding policemen recovered from the crime scene were 11 empty shells of caliber .45 pistol and 13 cartridge of .9-mm pistol as well as five deformed slugs.

All the possible motives are being looked into as investigation is ongoing in a bid to establish the identities and possibly arrest the suspects, the police added. (SunStar Philippines)