Davao del Norte businessman, driver shot dead

TAGUM CITY, Philippines – Gunmen on motorcycles shot dead a businessman and his driver while they were on their way to pay the trader’s workers their wages in Kapalong, Davao del Norte on Saturday, police on Sunday said.

Jorge Sollano, 59, married and a resident of San Miguel village, in Tagum City, died of multiple gunshot wounds following the attack near his farm around 1:20 p.m., Chief Inspector Carl Omar Fiel, Kapalong police station chief, said.

Sollano’s driver, identified as Alex Miro, 42, married, also of Tagum City, likewise died during the attack.

Fiel told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone, that Sollano and his driver were killed as they were aboard Sollano’s Mitsubishi Strada pickup truck, which was heading to the businessman’s farm at Purok 13-B of the same village.

“A bamboo pole laid across the road prompted the driver to stop the vehicle, then shots rang out,” Fiel said, adding the crime scene was near the slain trader’s farm. The victims were killed instantly.

Apart from robbery, authorities were investigating other possible angles into the ambush.

“The family revealed that Mr. Sollano’s black sling bag containing unknown items was missing but investigators recovered at the crime scene a brown bag containing a large sum of money. At least 15 empty shells and three slugs from a cal. 45 pistol were also found at the area,” said the police official.