
ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 24, 2013) – Two employees of a lending firm were shot as they collect from creditors in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, police said Friday.
Police said one of the victims Bemilo Islanan was killed while his companion Jeffrey Gavarra had been shot twice in Country Home Subdivision in the village of Ayala. The two were employees of Nickel Lending Investment and had been attacked by two gunmen.
Both victims were rushed to hospital, but Islanan, who was shot in the head, died along the way.
Initial police investigation said the gunmen approached the two collectors and without any warning shot them at close range. It was unknown whether any of their creditors were involved in the attack.
Gun attacks are not uncommon in Zamboanga City where hired killers actively operate. Dozens of people had been shot since early this year and many of these cases remain unresolved. Police largely blame personal grudge and the proliferation of illegal weapons in most of the murders. (Mindanao Examiner)