Chinese trader killed in Valenzuela ambush

A Filipino-Chinese businessman was killed while three of his employees were injured when they were ambushed by three armed men on board two big motorbikes in Valenzuela City yesterday.

Willie Chua, 47, married, a resident of Araneta Avenue, Malabon City and owner of Dainiki Marketing, a plastics and houseware goods manufacturer and wholesaler located at 14 Malinis Street in Barangay Lawang Bato, Valenzuela City died of gunshot wounds in the head and body.

The police said Chua died before reaching the Manila Central University (MCU) Hospital along EDSA where he was taken by his driver, Abner Jatdula, who was grazed by a bullet near the left eye.

Chua’s women employees identified as Maricel, 27 and Lani, 20, both surnamed Miranda, were listed as seriously wounded but were later declared out of danger in the same hospital. Another male employee, Allan Bautista, Chua’s aide, survived the ambush unscathed.

Probers are looking into several angles as to the motive of the killing. Business rivalry is one angle but another theory advanced yesterday involved money loaned out to clients as the victim was reported to be a financier.

The police said the ambush occurred at around 9 a.m. when the armed men, two on the first motorcycle armed with "what looked like an Uzi (machine pistol)" and one on board another, who witnesses said served as the lookout, waylaid the victims from both sides of the road. The black Nissan Exalta’s (WMJ-972) windshields where shattered as probers counted some 27 bullet holes on the victim’s car.

Bautista said they came from Chua’s house in Malabon City and were on their way to their workplace in Valenzuela City when the suspects blocked their path and fired at will.

"They made sure (Chua) was dead as one of the suspects pumped a bullet into his head at close range," said Bautista who played dead when the suspect approached the vehicle.

Witnesses told reporters that the Valenzuela police took some time before arriving at the crime scene.