Gunman shoots EDC engineer

Ormoc City, Philippines – A mechanical engineer of the former Philippine National Oil Co. now Energy Development Corp. is in critical condition at the OSPA here after an unidentified gunman shot him twice in the neck about 8:30 a.m. yesterday in front of A-Mall, along Rizal St.

Police Community Precinct 1 chief Police Inspector Neil Montaño, identified the victim as Carlos Venezuela y Raquel, 54, married, a mechanical engineer assigned in one of the major departments of EDC in Tongonan, Ormoc City, and a resident of Sitio Tinag-an, Barangay Ipil.

Case investigator SPO3 Eduardo Bituin told The STAR that the victim who was at the driver’s seat of his Nissan Frontier pick-up (UTD-275) was in front of the A-Mall while waiting for his wife, children and helper when an unidentified gunman who passed beside the driver side, shot the victim at close range with a .45 caliber pistol.

The man casually walked toward Lopez Jaena St., where a blue color Yamaha DT 125 motorcycle waited and fled toward an unknown direction. Bituin said the victim’s wife Arminda, 49, a school teacher at Barangay San Antonio was about to board their pick up when the shooting occurred and was hit in her upper right leg, possibly from the penetrating slug that hurt her husband causing her to faint.

Bystanders brought the wife to the Gatchalian Clinic for treatment while the husband was brought to the OSPA hospital by two persons and the driver of a police service car and a local reporter on board the victim’s vehicle.

A local reporter who requested anonymity and was in the vicinity told The STAR that he heard two gun explosions while he was watching his mock China-made cellular phones.

When he turned around he saw a man holding a black pistol gradually running away to the waiting get away motorcycle. He described the suspect as of medium built about 5’5”-5’7” tall, wearing white T-shirt and a faded camouflage short pant.

The police service driver who asked not to be identified also told The STAR that he was at the back of the victim’s vehicle maneuvering his motorcycle to get out when he heard the gun explosions.

He said he saw the suspect walk casually and later ran toward the direction of Lopez Jaena. He added that after transporting the wife on board his tricycle going to the Gatchalian clinic he and the reporter also brought the other victim to the OSPA hospital.

Local police are still investigating the motive of the shooting and the identity of the suspects.