BEFORE he was shot dead in the early hours of Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Johny Burdas was able to bring roasted chicken and pizza to his family.
It would be the last time he would bring something home to them. He never made it back.
The 47-year-old taxi driver was allegedly robbed inside his cab in Sitio Ka-Isko, Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, between 2 and 3 a.m. He sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head and shoulder.
Clara Burdas, the victim’s wife, described him during his wake as a good man and a loving father, in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, July 3.
She said her husband had been working as a taxi driver for nearly a year, regularly picking up passengers and often staying out late to accommodate those who booked him. She said that within those times he had earned regular customers.
Clara was shocked by the incident, as Burdas had never mentioned receiving any threats prior to his tragic death.
Investigation
Burdas’s family is entrusting the case to the authorities, hoping justice will be served for the man who meant the world to her and their children.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office spokesperson Lt. Col. Christian Torres said in a phone interview that authorities are continuing their investigation, following new developments involving the ride-hailing app previously used by the victim for passenger transactions.
Torres said police will send a formal request to the ride-hailing company for access to the victim’s recent passenger activity, which may provide crucial evidence in the case. / DPC