MANILA, Philippines?A man carrying an identification card of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was gunned down on Friday night by an unidentified assailant at the Salam Compound in Barangay Culiat in Quezon City.

Police investigators recovered the PNP card on the body of Maotsetung Simihag, 33, who was found dead in an alley near Lebian Street at around 8:30 p.m. Friday.

Case investigator PO3 Jaime Jimena of the Quezon City Police District?s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said they were still verifying from Camp Crame authorities if the victim was a policeman.

A resident of Sulu Street inside the Salam Compound, Simihag was reportedly seen talking to an unidentified man outside his house minutes before he was shot.

An initial investigation showed that the victim?s cousin, Emma Arabe, also a resident of the compound, said she was in her uncle?s home when she heard two men talking loudly outside the house .

When went outside to check, she said she saw Simihag talking to a man. Arabe then returned to the house.

?Minutes later, she said she heard two gunshots outside the house. Together with other relatives, they went outside and saw Simihag sprawled on the ground,? the case investigator said.

The suspect, meanwhile, fled with the firearm he used in the shooting. Police were able to recover two empty shells, four plastic sachets of suspected shabu and the PNP identification card from the crime scene.