Rice trader shot dead in Marikina City on second day of gun ban

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MANILA, Philippines — Only two days after a nationwide gun ban was imposed for the election period, a rice trader was shot dead in Marikina City.

An initial report to Senior Superintendent Gabriel Lopez, chief of police, identified the victim as Mark Joseph Luna, 45.

Senior Inspector Eduardo Cayetano, the city’s investigation chief, said Luna was in front of VWM Enterprises on B. Bayan Ave., Barangay (village) Concepcion I when he was shot in the right temple by a still unidentified gunman at 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to Cayetano, after the shooting, the man walked casually to a motorcycle, which had been parked nearby by his alleged cohort.

The two sped away toward Marikina Heights.

The victim, meanwhile, was rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital, which was only a few steps away from the crime scene, Cayetano said.

Luna was declared dead at 9:30 a.m.

Based on the statement of Mark Anthony Gastardo, the establishment’s security guard, the victim was approached and shot by the gunman right after he asked something from a street vendor near the VMW.

According to the initial report, the gunman wore a black jacket and jeans, had a brown complexion and medium build.

He was more or less 5’7″ in height, the report said.

While the motive has not been determined, Cayetano said robbery as an angle could already be discounted as the victim’s live-in partner, Eizel Cañete, told police that there was nothing missing from his bag.

The police official said that a shell recovered from the crime scene had already been turned over to the Scene of the Crime Operatives for examination.

He said the police were set to get the statements of members of the victim’s family.