Customs men under the gun

At least three still unidentified gunmen ambushed a Customs collector at the Port Area in Manila yesterday, a day after two other officials of the bureau were killed in the province.

Manila International Container Port Customs collector Felipe Bartolome survived the ambush and was rushed to the Manila Doctors Hospital, where he is now undergoing treatment.

His driver, Erwin Melmida, was killed. Witnesses said a still unidentified companion of Bartolome, was also wounded and managed to run away from the scene.

Witnesses also said at least three men with long firearms stopped Bartolome’s vehicle, a gray Hyundai Galloper (SFX-338) at about 7 p.m. along the Anda Circle in front of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) building.

After stopping the vehicle, the gunmen peppered the van with bullets from an Armalite rifle wrapped in a black jacket. The driver died on the spot. Bartolome’s companion, though wounded, managed to run away. Bartolome, also wounded, got out of his vehicle after the shooting.

Witnesses said one of the gunmen took an attache case from Bartolome’s vehicle. The gunmen reportedly escaped on board a motorcycle. Another gunman was seen by witnesses running towards the Intramuros area.

A firearms license, permit to carry and an NBI identification card of Bartolome were recovered from the scene. An empty Armalite magazine was also recovered.

Customs police chief Major Isabelo Tibayan brought an 18-year-old male witness to the ambush to the Western Police District’s homicide unit.

Bartolome was the third Customs official to be ambushed in three days.

Last Thursday, the Cebu deputy collector for operations and a Customs examiner were shot dead by armed men in Cebu City.