Trader killed in Passi City

CEBU, Philippines - A 61-year-old businessman was murdered Friday morning by riding-in-tandem gunmen along the busy street of Passi City in Iloilo.

Jorge Factora, a resident of Barangay Tinocuan in Dingle town, sustained at least nine gunshot wounds on the different parts of his body. He was declared dead on arrival at the Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital.

According to Superintendent Hector Maestral, Passi City police chief, Factora was driving his blue Chevrolet Colorado pick-up truck from Bao-Bao Road in Passi City and was presumed to be heading to Dingle town when the incident happened.

Factora was navigating along Perlas Street in Barangay Poblacion Ilauod of the city, at around 9:30 a.m. when the two men closely tailed him.

When the victim had to stop at a traffic jam, the assailants took the opportunity and peppered him with bullets from a .45-caliber pistol, in the presence of several onlookers. Seconds later, the gunmen sped off toward the direction of Calinog town.

Responding policemen recovered from the crime scene 11 slugs and an empty magazine of .45-caliber pistol.

As this developed, Maestral said investigators are now looking at several angles behind Factora’s death. "It could be a case of a hold-up or business rivalry,” he said, adding that the victim was into trading of sugar and cooking oil and had a sugar milling business. — Jennifer P. Rendon (FREEMAN)