Mom of 3, a crime witness, ‘silenced’

A mother of three was shot dead inside her house in Tondo, Manila, while sleeping next to her children in the wee hours of Saturday.

SPO3 Rodelio Lingcong of the Manila Police District’s (MPD) homicide section identified the victim as Elena Miranda, 45, a widow and resident of Block 5, Old Site Baseco Compound.

Lingcong said the suspected killer, identified at press time only as Ruel, entered Miranda’s house around 1 a.m. and shot the victim twice, hitting her in the neck and right cheek.

An investigation showed that the victim was a witness in a homicide case where Ruel was one of the accused.

Lingcong added that, according to a police officer posted at the MPD’s Baseco precinct, Miranda was one of the informants of the former precinct commander.  Erika Sauler