BATANGAS CITY, Philippines—A police official was shot and killed in Barangay Butong, Taal, Batangas on Tuesday morning, police said.
The victim, Superintendent Rodney Ramirez was biking along a village road in Barangay Butong for his morning exercise, when he was bumped by a van and shot at 10:15 a.m., Tuesday, police said.
Ramirez was later declared dead on arrival at the Lemery Doctors Hospital, said Police Officer 3 Simeon De Leon, investigator at the Taal Municipal Police Office.
Police learned from witnesses that six male passengers of an L-300 van stepped down from the vehicle after it bumped Ramirez, said Chief Inspector Virgilio Rubio, provincial officer of the Batangas Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and deputy commander of Task Force Ramirez.
“Two of the six could have gunned him down as two empty shells of a 9 mm and .45-caliber were found in the crime scene,” added Senior Police Officer 3 Frederick Bonsol, chief investigator of the Taal police.
He said the killers then boarded the van but abandoned it 200 meters away from the crime scene before fleeing on foot.
A manhunt operation is ongoing against the gunmen.
Ramirez was assigned at the provincial holding administration office, said Superintendent Arcadio Ronquillo, Batangas police information officer.