3 vehicle franchise ‘sellers’ shot dead

The police are looking into the killing of three people believed to be involved in a transport franchise scam shortly before noon on Wednesday in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Aguido Roquita, Rosie Sumbeling and Maria Irma Bautista each bore a single gunshot wound. Their bodies were found in a car that crashed into the gates of the Montinola property in Baluyot Park, Barangay Sauyo at 11:30 a.m.

Roquita, who was in the driver’s seat, died on the spot after he was shot in the right temple, the bullet exiting through the left side of his face. A resident of Tondo, Manila, he was identified through an ID card found in his possession.

In the passenger’s seat beside him was Rosie Sumbeling from Valenzuela City. Seated behind him was Maria Irma Bautista, a resident of Green Acres Subdivision in Barangay San Bartolome, Quezon City.

Sumbeling had been shot in the nape, the bullet exiting through her left eye while Bautista had a gunshot wound in the right temple.

They were taken to the Far Eastern University-NRMF Hospital where Sumbeling was declared dead on arrival. Bautista, on the other hand, died at 1:29 p.m. Both women were later identified by their friends and families.

According to the police, the victims were known to be involved in the anomalous sale of transport franchise; buying these from sellers and then selling a single franchise repeatedly to several buyers who were unaware that they were being duped.

“We are looking into that as the possible motive for [their] killing,” said Insp. Elmer Monsalve, head of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) homicide section.

The information was confirmed by the commander of the Novaliches police station, Supt. Norberto Babagay, who has jurisdiction over the area where the crime took place.

According to Babagay, the victims were known to be involved in the illegal activity, adding that one of the women, whom he did not identify, had been ordered arrested by a Valenzuela court as a result.

Babagay said that the scheme involved the sale of one franchise to several buyers, causing disputes. “They were fooling people,” he added.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Insp. Rodelio Marcelo, QCPD-CIDU head, said that they believed the gunman was in the car with the victims before they were shot.

“The spent shells were inside the car,” Marcelo noted. Recovered from the car were three casings from a .45-caliber gun.

“It appears the gunman was seated in the back of the car, on the right side, which would explain why all the victims were shot on the right side,” Babagay said.

According to Monsalve, investigators were examining footage taken by security cameras in the area to identify the gunman.