Top Cebuano businessman gunned down

CEBU CITY—A Cebuano businessman was killed in an ambush by two men on board a motorcycle in Barangay Guizo, Mandaue City, on Friday.

Antonio Ouano was with his secretary, Nene Mangubat, on board a yellow Toyota Hi-Lux Surf when they were fired upon past 2 p.m. on Friday along Mantawi Drive in Guizo.

Mangubat was not hurt.

“Based on how they executed the ambush, I strongly believe that the two suspects are professional killers,” said Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, director of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO).

He said investigators were looking at two angles in the killing—business and personal grudge.

Ouano, of Barangay Looc in Mandaue, owned several land holdings and businesses in Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental. Among them were the Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City, the lot where Gaisano Countrymall now stands in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, and Starcraft, a company running fleets of vessels plying the Cebu-Tubigon route. He was a nephew of former Mayor Alfredo Ouano.

Gillamac said Ouano came from a mediation hearing at the Palace of Justice over a land row on Friday. The hearing didn’t push through.

Ouano was driving to the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue to attend another hearing on a grave threat case filed by a sibling.

When Ouano made a stop to make a left turn to Ouano Avenue, one of the two men on board a motorcycle fired at him.

Ouano suffered multiple bullet wounds and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mandaue City District hospital past 3 p.m., Gillamac said.