Businessman slain in San Juan

MANILA, Philippines - A 34-year-old businessman was shot dead in San Juan yesterday morning, shortly after he had withdrawn P800,000 from a bank.

Kelvin Tan, who owned construction firm KT Builders, withdrew P800,000 from a bank along Ortigas Avenue in Greenhills and handed the money to a bodyguard of Benedict Tan, reportedly his best friend, who was waiting at a nearby coffee shop, according to city police chief Senior Superintendent Bernard Tambaoan.

After a few minutes, Tan boarded his Toyota Altis (POZ-789), parked in front of the office of manning agency Heavylift Manila, Inc. beside the bank. He was in the driver’s seat when he was attacked at around 10:20 a.m.

Tan died on the spot from two gunshot wounds on the left side of his body.

Tambaoan said a bank guard who witnessed the shooting said that after withdrawing the money, Tan went to the coffee shop and bought food and drinks.

The guard said the victim returned to his car, handed over the money to Benedict’s bodyguard, and “minutes later, an unidentified man emerged from behind, pulled out a .45 caliber pistol and shot the victim,” Tambaoan said.

He described Tan’s killer as a bearded man, about 5’7” tall, clad in a violet barong. The gunman then walked to a Honda Wave motorcycle, bearing a “for registration” sign, parked across the avenue and sped away, Tambaoan said.

“The gunman could be a professional because he shot the victim without any cover on his head and face. Our mobile patrol unit had just passed by the area where the shooting occurred when the suspect shot the victim,” he added.

Tambaoan said they will look into possible conflicts involving Tan’s business. “We will backtrack three to six months on the activities of the victim to establish the motive for the killing. But based on the statements of the victim’s family, he has no enemies in his business and he had good relations with his workers in his construction business,” he said.

Tambaoan said they will summon Benedict for questioning.

“They have the same surname but they are not related, according to the information that was given to us by the victim’s family,” Tambaoan said.

He said a surveillance camera of Onlife Led Lighting Technologies Int’l, Corp., which is beside Heavylift Manila, caught Tan’s killer pulling out a .45 caliber pistol.

Five spent shells from a .45 caliber pistol were recovered from the crime scene.