MANILA -- The Philippine National Police on Wednesday confirmed that the eight tourists succumbed to gunshot wounds while denying speculations that the suspect Rolando Mendoza took his life in Monday’s assault.
Police spokesman Agrimero Cruz Jr. said of the eight fatalities, five were Hong Kong nationals and the rest were Canadian citizens but the names and ages were not disclosed as
of this posting.
The fatalities include four males (three Hong Kong nationals, one Canadian) and four females (two Canadian, two Hong Kong nationals).
“The autopsy was conducted on all fatalities but three of them begged for some personal considerations. Families of the three fatalities, for some personal or religious reasons,
refused the bodies to be opened up for autopsy but they were examined post mortem, meaning, physical exam lang hindi na po nabukasan yung mga katawan,” Cruz told reporters at the PNP Press Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
The three bodies who were not subjected to autopsy are Hong Kong nationals.The report furnished to media said three victims sustained gunshot wounds in the head, while the others were shot on the neck and other parts of the body.
“The cause of death is gunshot wounds,all from high powered forearms. Hindi pa natin ma-determine kung anong caliber kasi kinukuha pa ang mga metal fragments,” said Cruz.
At the same briefing, he said that Mendoza fell on sniper’s bullets.
“From all indication sniper ang nakatama kay Mendoza,” said Cruz.
The dismissed police officer sustained eight gunshot wounds, of which one is found in the head, two in the neck, one in the trunk and four in other parts of the body. (Virgil
Lopez/Sunnex)