Businessman escapes slay try

ILOILO CITY ,Philippines  — A businessman escaped unscathed from another attempt on his life Saturday afternoon at Barangay Abeto in Mandurriao district of this city.

Lino Marañon, 48, also a resident of the place and owner of Botika Mesa and Mandurriao Cockpit Arena, was reportedly sitting on his parked vehicle when two armed men went near him.

Without any word, the two, identified only as alias Ari and alias Nonoy, aimed fire at Marañon and immediately left the scene on a motorcycle, without plate number, driven by a certain Jojo to undisclosed direction.

Unknown to the assailants, however, the bullets failed to hit Marañon, but smashed his vehicle.

Senior Insp. Rio Maymay said his men were still trying to determine the true identities of the suspects who were only known in Mandurriao by their aliases.

Because of the manner the crime was carried, Maymay theorized that the suspects were not professional killers. “Kung iba lang ‘yun, they would make sure that their target is really dead,” he said.

Maymay said his office would also check with the Land Transportation Office motorcycles that are up for registration.

Investigators could not still rule the motive of the incident but initial reports have it that the slay attempt was related to the estranged wife of the businessmen.

“We received information that it could be related to his wife but we could not confirm it yet,” Maymay said without elaborating also on why take that angle to the slay try.