MANILA, Philippines — Cops are now investigating why a man shot to death a Parañaque City hall employee and a seven-year-old boy sitting nearby in Valenzuela City.
Rahib Tantong, 31, jobless, a native of Cotabato City, and a resident of Pasig City, gunned down Datu Alinor Umal, 32, a security unit employee of Parañaque City hall, several times, and shot randomly 7-year-old Alsaud Ali at the latter’s house on Alarcon Street, Maysan, Valenzuela City, on Sunday evening.
Cops say they have been looking into all angles in the case, including the fact that the victims and suspect are all Muslims.
SPO2 Ronaldo Ruiz, said that around 5:30 p.m., Umal and his cousin, Misuari Esmail, went to the temporary house of Umal’s former girlfriend, Marjjama Guimar, on Alarcon Street, in Malabo, Maysan, Valenzuela City.
Guimar is Ali’s aunt.
Witnesses told the police that around 7 p.m., while Umal and Guimar were talking, Tantong suddenly arrived with two unidentified men and prayed in the house. Minutes later, Tantong left but came back with a pistol, with an apparent intent to shoot Umal and Guimar.
Umar and Guimar stood up and fought for the possession of the pistol, but Tantong repeatedly shot Umal in different parts of the body, instantly killing him.
Ali, meanwhile, was hit by a stray bullet. He was immediately rushed to the Valenzuela City Care Medical Center but was declared dead around 8 p.m. Sunday. Tantong immediately escaped with the pistol.
Ruiz said they were still determining the motive for the shooting as there were inconsistencies and gaps in the testimonies of the witnesses.
The investigators said they would have to talk to the kin of the victims and have sent out people to arrest the suspect.
Recovered from the scene were eight fired cartridge cases and a live ammunition from a gun of an unknown calibre.
The relatives of the victims refused autopsy for the victims because of their religious beliefs. The victims’ bodies were brought to the Muslim Cemetery for burial. SFM