Trader slain in Makati heist

MANILA, Philippines - A diesel supplier of a bus company was robbed and shot dead in Makati City Saturday night, police said.

Rafael Reyes, 42, was in his Toyota Altis (XBH-329) along Gil Puyat Avenue at the corner of Dian street when two men on a motorcycle fired a shotgun at his car twice.

In a phone interview with The STAR, Superintendent Jaime Santos, officer-in-charge of the city police, quoted a police report saying a motorcycle “suddenly appeared” on the right of Reyes’s car at about 11:45 p.m.

The robbers looted Reyes’ car, taking a black bag containing money, a laptop, and another plastic bag, before fleeing on the motorcycle.

Santos said he does not know the amount of money taken from Reyes, nor which company the victim worked for. The victim’s family has also yet to come forward “maybe because it’s a Sunday,” he said.

Hours after the crime, two employees of a bus liner approached the police to report one of their bus washers as the alleged “tipster” of the robbers, Santos said.

The two bus employees, however, did not elaborate how they came up with the information, he added.

According to another report, Reyes – a native of Mati, Davao – had just come from the Jam Liner bus terminal in Pasay and was on his way to Makati when two men on a motorcycle followed him then shot at him.

Reyes reportedly turned left on Bautista street, but went back to Gil Puyat Avenue when he found the road blocked. His attackers cornered him when he drove back. Though wounded, he still tried to drive and hit a Mitsubishi Pajero just before he died.