3 dead, 3 wounded in public market shooting in Batangas

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines — Two men on a motorcycle shot and killed an administrator of the public market in Tanauan City at noon Tuesday but they themselves were gunned down shortly afterward by a responding Special Weapons and Tactics team, police said.

Inspector Mary Anne Torres, Batangas police information officer, said market administrator Manolito Roxas was conducting an inspection at the city market at 12 noon when the gunmen shot him.

Roxas was killed on the spot while two bystanders were wounded by stray bullets.

The SWAT team, however, caught up with the fleeing gunmen. An exchange of fire ensued, with the gunmen felled by bullets from the police. One policeman, identified as Police Officer 2 Janoras, was wounded in the encounter.

Torres said the two persons hit by stray bullets were identified as Gemma Hernandez, 16, a vendor, and Gemma Alipio, 49, a bystander.

The authorities, however, ‎cannot determine yet whether the bullets that hit the victims came from the firearms of the suspects or the police.

Two .45-caliber pistols and the motorcycle used by the gunmen were recovered by the police.

Motive for the attack has yet to be established by the police. With J‎ulliane Love de Jesus, INQUIRER.net