Village watchman shot dead by junkshop owner over scrap

MANILA, Philippines—A village watchman was shot dead on Wednesday by a junkshop owner who refused to cooperate in the dengue cleanup drive in Quezon City.

Raymundo Sibal, 52, of San Lorenzo Street, Barangay (village) Payatas, asked scrap shop owner Arnold Robles to surrender some of his trash that could become a mosquito breeding site, but the suspect refused to do so, insisting that the scrap was part of his business.

This prompted Sibal to ask for the owner’s permit but Robles, a retired soldier, could only present a permit for a different shop in Barangay Silangan, case investigator Police Officer 2 Jun Hernandez said.

After a heated debate, Robles pulled out his 9mm cal. and repeatedly shot Sibal in different parts of the body. Robles and his friend Constancio Pitagan, 58, of Sto. Niño de Payatas escaped from the scene, but were later arrested by Senior Police Officer 4 Joyal Fulgencio of the Batasan Hills Police Station. They are now under custody on murder charges.

Sibal was rushed to the Far Eastern University hospital but was pronounced dead during surgery at 11:25 a.m.