BLOOD stains and shards of glass littered the interior of taxi cab MRG 1627 -- grim remnants of an alleged robbery that ended in the murder of a 47-year-old driver on Wednesday morning, July 2, 2025.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Christian Torres told SunStar Cebu that the driver was first shot from outside the vehicle, with the bullet piercing through the driver’s side windshield.
A second shot, fired at close range, struck the victim near the shoulder, close to the heart.
Torres said initial forensic findings revealed tattooing marks around the second entry wound, indicating it was a close-contact gunshot.
He added that the victim was either booked through a ride-hailing app or flagged down from the street—information that could serve as crucial evidence.
Investigators also recovered closed circuit television (CCTV) footage from the area of the crime scene in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City.
While robbery remains the primary motive, police are also considering a personal grudge or a love triangle as possible angles.
Nine hours after the incident, a person of interest was identified and is now the subject of a hot pursuit by authorities, Torres said. (DPC)