Manila Bay ‘pirate’ shot dead; 2 pals hurt

A man was shot dead while his two companions were wounded by a security guard at South Harbor in Manila early Friday for allegedly stealing lumber from the barges.

The Manila Police District identified the fatality as Michael Garcia, 39, who was described as a fisherman and a member of a gang in the Port Area known as “Piratang Dagat.”
Garcia succumbed to a gunshot wound in the body at Ospital ng Maynila, where his two alleged accomplices in the foiled theft—Leonardo Eson and John Paul—also received treatment.

Jeffrey Toralba, the security guard, surrendered to the MPD precinct in Baseco, Tondo. According to Toralba, he was manning his post around 5:30 a.m. when he saw Garcia and the others in the act of stealing lumber, prompting him to shoot.