Cop-money lender killed while collecting payment

A member of the Manila Police District (MPD) who was moonlighting as a money lender was shot dead in Binondo, Manila, on Saturday night.

Police Officer 3 Ernesto de la Cruz, assigned at the MPD Station 5, was collecting payment from vendors in front of the KP Tower in Juan Luna, Binondo, when he was killed by a man who had yet to be identified.

According to witnesses, the policeman was shot while his back was turned, with the bullet hitting him in the nape.

As the victim fell to the ground, the shooter took his clutch bag, which was believed to contain around P500,000 in cash, Juan Luna Police Community Precinct chief Inspector Armando Macaraeg told reporters.

De la Cruz had been lending money to people, including vendors for years, Macaraeg said.

He estimated that in the years the victim had been in the business, he had probably lent out around a million pesos.

Macaraeg added that they were looking into the possibility that a group of vendors who owed him money had him killed so that they would not have to pay their debts.

According to him, this angle came up because of a similar incident earlier this year.

Macaraeg said that on Feb. 8, PO3 Luis Sagum of the Manila Police city hall detachment was hacked dead by a vendor in a building in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Based on their investigation, Sagum lent money to vendors at a high interest rate.