Noodle vendor shot by robber in Manila dies

MANILA, Philippines — The noodle vendor who was shot at close range by a robber in Baseco Compound in Port Area, Manila last week has died, police said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Carlo Manuel, spokesperson of the Manila Police District (MPD), confirmed to INQUIRER.net that victim Samson Bautista died while being treated at a hospital, eight days after he was shot on Feb. 18.

The suspect, Alexander Ogdamina, was arrested by the police a day after the crime. He had previously admitted to shooting the victim after he refused to give his sling bag. The suspect also said he was using illegal drugs.

The incident was caught on a closed-circuit television camera, where the vendor was seen parking his food cart along Bayani Street when the suspect suddenly appeared and tried to grab the sling bag of the victim.

Bautista, however, refused to give his bag, prompting the suspect to shoot him in the neck.

In an interview with reporters shortly after his arrest, the suspect apologized to the family of the victim, but insisted that he would not have had shot Bautista if the latter had only given his bag.

“Baka akala kasi nila sa mga tulad sa amin nagbibiro kami. Hindi kami nagbibiro. Kapag sinabi namin, ginagawa namin ‘yun (Maybe they think people like us are joking. We are not joking. If we say we will do it, we will do it),” Ogdamina said during the interview.

Edited by EDV