1 killed, 9 wounded in Pasig shooting

Four gunmen opened fire on a group of people welcoming the New Year in Pasig City, killing a 50-year-old businessman and wounding nine others.

Police investigators strongly believe that the killing of Eduardo Bernardo, of Barangay Palatiw had something to do with a quarrel between a group of Muslims and Samar natives that erupted last Dec. 22.

Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman ordered a team of Special Weapons and Tactics officers from the Pasig City police to prevent retaliatory killings.

Bernardo and his neighbors were noisily welcoming the New Year when the gunmen arrived at 11:45 p.m., police said. Without a word, the four pulled out handguns and opened fire at close range.

Pandemonium broke loose as revelers panicked and ran, leaving Bernardo and those wounded behind. The assailants calmly walked away from the crime scene.

Neighbors rushed Bernardo and the wounded to the hospital.

Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr., Pasig City police chief, said the attack could be related to a Dec. 22 stabbing incident that left a Muslim and a Waray dead.

He said a Muslim couple was walking down the street when they chanced upon at least seven Warays and a free-for-all broke out. It was not clear what started the trouble.

The wife of the slain Muslim was rushed to the nearby Mapayapa compound in Barangay Sto. Tomas where she asked for help from fellow Muslims to retrieve her slain husband’s body.

"The Muslims were overheard vowing that they would conduct retaliatory attacks and we are now investigating whether the killing of Bernardo is related to the Dec. 22 incident," said Uyami.

He said a lingering tension between Muslim and Waray residents in the barangay prompted him to dispatch a SWAT team.