Police eye financial obligation behind sales manager's slay in Pasig

MANILA, Philippines – Police are eyeing financial obligation as the motive behind the ambush- slaying of a sales manager of an IT firm in Pasig City Tuesday.

The Pasig City police are pursuing three angles in the death of Liberty Liwanag, 40, but are following up the financial obligation motive upon the recovery of her cellular phone.

Reports reaching Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan showed that Liwanag received a text message in her cellphone with the sender telling her to pay off her standing debt or “something might happen to her.” Calingasan directed the Pasig City police to invite for questioning the text message sender as he might help solve the ambush-slaying of Liwanag.

Despite the new development, however, the Pasig City police hinted they are also pursuing the love triangle and business rivalry as among the motives in Liwanag’s killing.

Calingasan said they ruled out robbery as the motive in the ambush-slaying as Liwanag’s cash, jewelry, cellphone and laptop were left behind by the two motorcycle-riding suspects. Liwanag, sales manager of the IT firm Axus International Inc., was on board her white Toyota RAV 4 (XPE-377) when ambushed at the corner of Julia Vargas St., and Lanuza  Ave., in Barangay Ugong at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Calingasan said Liwanag, of Block 6, Lot 11, Phase 2 Millenium Garden, Jenny’s Ave., in Barangay Rosario was on her way to her office located at Suite 2905-29th floor Antel Global Corporate Center, at the Ortigas Commercial Center, when waylaid.

Liwanag sustained three gunshot wounds in the left side of the body and died while being operated on at the Medical City where she was rushed by rescue teams of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Police recovered three empty shells from a .45 caliber automatic pistol in the crime scene.