DUMAGUETE CITY – A businessman was shot dead Monday afternoon in Barangay Batinguel here by two unidentified suspects.
Superintendent Jonathan Pineda, police chief of Dumaguete City, identified the victim as Arsenio Vios Macahis, 55 years old, and resident of Barangay Bagacay in this provincial capital.
Initial investigation disclosed that Macahis was driving his white double-cab pick-up truck around 2 p.m. Monday when fired upon at “CrossTac” (Crossing Taclobo) in Purok 1, Batinguel, causing his vehicle to swerve to the side of the road.
Macahis was rushed to a local hospital on ambulance that happened to pass by but was declared dead on arrival due to at least three gunshot wounds from a caliber .45 handgun, according to Supt. Pineda.
It was not immediately known whether the suspects were riding in tandem on a motorcycle as witnesses said they only heard bursts of gunfire, said Pineda.
Police immediately conducted pursuit operations against the suspects.
At the crime scene, the lawmen recovered four empty shells and one slug for caliber .45 pistol, one magazine for caliber .45 pistol near the driver’s seat of the victim’s vehicle, and a knife.
It was not immediately known whether the victim was carrying a gun.
Investigators are looking into all possible angles in the shooting, including the victim’s alleged involvement in the operation of “swertres” or lotto.
Also, police are still verifying reports of two supposed passengers, a woman and a child, on board the pick-up truck.
He further said investigators have recovered Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from a nearby establishment and they are now processing the images. However, he lamented the low quality of the video clip.
Pineda also lamented that residents and people in business establishments near the crime scene are not cooperative in the police investigation.
Meanwhile, he discounted the possibility that the killing of the businessman was related to the illegal drugs problem.
Macahis was not on the police’s list of drug personalities, he said. (PNA)
