Worker killed for refusing to join drinking bout

MANILA, Philippines - A cannery worker was shot dead after he refused an offer to join a group of men having a drinking bout Friday afternoon in Navotas City.

Police identified the victim as Jun Bantillo, 31, a resident of Barangay North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS) in Navotas. He worked for the Youngstown sardines cannery.

Fish trader Francisco Nablo, the alleged gunman, also a resident of Barangay NBBS, fled after the incident.

Police said Bantillo passed by a group of men having a drinking spree along Nabio street at around 1:30 p.m. He politely turned down an offer by one of the men to join them, police said.

As Bantillo was about to walk away, Nablo, armed with a handgun, shot Bantillo several times. Nablo is now the subject of a police manhunt.

Mayor Toby Tiangco banned the holding of drinking sessions on the street in Navotas but many residents – especially in the city’s depressed areas – ignore the mayor’s prohibition.

Police said that drinking on the street often triggers brawls that sometimes take a fatal turn. – Pete Laude