Chinese trader killed in New Manila ambush

MANILA, Philippines - A Chinese businessman was killed in an ambush staged by four men on two motorcycles in New Manila, Quezon City yesterday morning.

Inspector Elmer Monsalve, chief of the homicide section of the Quezon City Criminal Investigation and Detection Office (CIDO), identified the victim as Shao Huai Huang, 46, of Greenhills, San Juan City.

Huang, whose identity was only established through his driver’s license, died of gunshot wounds in the body while being brought to the St. Luke’s Medical Center by passing motorists, among them a female doctor.

Initial investigation showed that the victim was driving his Honda CRV (NKQ-668) from Quezon City along Gilmore Avenue, heading toward Greenhills, when four gunmen waylaid him as he slowed down on the approach to 4th street before 10 a.m. yesterday.

The area where the killing took place is usually packed with motorists heading toward San Juan, Mandaluyong and Makati. Policemen from the Galas police station tried but failed to catch Huang’s killers.

Taxi driver Emilio Chavez, whose cab was behind Huang’s car, told police the shooting happened so fast and described the gunmen as “experts.” He said four men on two motorcycles overtook his cab from either side, and he saw the back rider on the motorcycle on the left shoot at the driver.

He said the other gunmen overtook the victim’s vehicle on the right and shot Huang through the windshield.

“I don’t know what happened next. I stopped and ducked because they may shoot me, too,” Chavez said.

Another witness, Gary Fernandez, a resident of New Manila, said that before losing consciousness, the victim was able to drive his car to the side of the road. Passing motorists and responding barangay tanods rushed him to the hospital but the victim was declared dead on arrival.

Police investigators have yet to establish the motive behind the killing. Nine spent .9mm shells were recovered at the crime scene.

“We are still conducting our investigation to establish the motive and possible identification of the gunmen,” Monsalve said.