Grudge eyed as motive in shooting of 15-year-old girl in Marikina

MANILA, Philippines — Police are looking into angles other than indiscriminate firing to determine who shot a 15-year-old girl in Marikina City on Jan. 9.

Senior Superintendent Gabriel Lopez, chief of police, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the girl, who has been staying in a hospital intensive care unit since the shooting, could have been hit by a bullet fired by a disgruntled motorist or a person who had a personal grudge against her group.

The girl was travelling with her boyfriend Jericho Ramos, 23, and several others on board a red Mitsubishi Adventure, with plate number XDF-259, in Mañotoc Subdivision, Barangay (village) Sto. Niño, when shots reportedly rang out past 3 a.m.

There were reportedly two other vehicles travelling in a convoy with the group — a Honda Civic behind the Mitsubishi and a Toyota Corolla in front.

The girl, who was then beside Ramos, the designated driver of the Mitsubishi Adventure, suddenly slumped to the passenger seat.

She was rushed to the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, where doctors retrieved a bullet from the back of her head.

She was, as of this posting, still “under observation” in its acute care unit.

According to Lopez, investigators received information that a white vehicle was seen overtaking the convoy a few minutes before the shots rang out.

The police official said three .45 cal slugs were recovered from the area.

He said it was possible the shots were fired by a disgruntled motorist.

He added the members of girl’s group, including Ramos, competed in drag races, which opened the possibility that they might have been shot at by someone whom they had beaten in the past.

In an interview on Saturday, Ramos told the Philippine Daily Inquirer he, the girl, Ronald Mañacob, Emmanuel Bago, one “JR” and several individuals in the two other vehicles were on their way home from Taguig, where they were to compete but the race never pushed through.

He said he could not think of anyone who might have wanted them killed.

An investigation is still ongoing.