Basilan disbursing officer killed; bag containing P2.5M taken

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—A still unidentified man shot dead the designated disbursing officer of the Basilan provincial engineer’s office (PEO) around 4 p.m. Monday, before grabbing the victim’s bag, which contained some P2.4 million in cash, police said.

Chief Inspector Edwin Placio, operations officer of the Basilan police office, said the victim, Nurhasan Sahijan Sakili, had just withdrawn cash for the salaries of PEO employees and the provincial social workers and health personnel, and encashed checks from a local bank in Isabela City, when shot dead by the motorcycle-riding suspect.

“He was shot from behind by the unidentified man and was hit on the left side of the back of his head,” Placio said.

“The victim placed the cash in a black shoulder bag. He was trailed by the suspect and was attacked as he was going back to the PEO,” Placio said.

He said a manhunt was launched against a suspect, whom witnesses had described to be in his teenage years.