Woman celebrating daughter’s birthday shot dead in Mandaluyong City

MANILA, Philippines—A 33-year-old woman celebrating her daughter’s birthday was gunned down by two armed men aboard a motorcycle in Mandaluyong City, on Wednesday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Daphne Ocampo, a resident of Sta. Ana, Manila, who was engaged in a lending business, Police Officer 3 Dexter Lumen, case investigator, said.

According to the police, Ocampo was buying fishball on the street near the house of her in-laws when two men on motorcycle shot her at least five times in different parts of her body.

She was found dead on the spot.

Ocampo was shot dead at 4:30 p.m. at the corner of San Francisco St. and a private road in Barangay (village) Hulo, Mandaluyong City, near the house where her 12-year-old daughter and the family of her estranged husband reside.

Lumen said robbery could be the motive in the shooting as several witnesses claimed the armed men tried to grab her handbag.

“But the victim resisted which perhaps prompted one of the men to shoot her,” Lumen said.

The witnesses could not identify the gunmen wearing helmets but managed to jot down “73,” the last two digits of the motorcycle’s plate number.

Senior Superintendent Armando Bolalin, Mandaluyong police chief, said a dragnet operation was carried out but the gunmen were able to escape the authorities.

Investigators are awaiting the findings of the members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) who were supposed to bring the body of the victim to the crime laboratory for autopsy.