NBI agent shot dead in Antipolo

MANILA, Philippines - An agent of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was shot dead by three still unidentified men while leaving his house aboard his car in Antipolo City Saturday, authorities said.

Lawyer Leandro Yanguas, 43, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the neck, head and face and died while being operated on at the Antipolo Medical Center.

His live-in partner, Mariel Almario, 26, escaped the attack unscathed and rushed him to the hospital.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Anduyan, Rizal police director, said Yanguas and Almario left their house in Barangay Mayamot to buy food at around 3 p.m. Saturday.

Yanguas was driving his Toyota Fortuner with Almario at the passenger’s seat, said Anduyan.

As the vehicle emerged from the garage, one of the three men, who appeared to be waiting on the street, pulled out a .45-caliber pistol and opened fire at Yanguas’ direction. Another man also took out his handgun and opened fire.

The driver’s window of the Toyota Fortuner was open, making Yanguas an easy target for the gunmen, witnesses told police investigators.

After Yanguas slumped on the steering wheel, the three men fled onboard a black Toyota Mio toward Marikina City. Witnesses failed to jot down the license plate of the getaway vehicle.

Almario herself drove the vehicle but it hit a parked vehicle. She brought Yanguas to the hospital but doctors failed to save him.

Anduyan said his men found an Armalite rifle and three other handguns, a laptop computer and assorted clothes in Yanguas’ vehicle.

Anduyan said they were still establishing the motive behind the killing of Yanguas, who was assigned at the NBI-Batangas office.

“We are still in the process of conducting a background investigation on him that would help us solve the case,” said Anduyan, adding that the NBI is conducting a parallel probe of the killing.

Yanguas was only on his third year with the NBI.