A Bacolod businessman was shot to death as he was about to open his hardware store at 7:50 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, PCapt. Francis Depasucat, Bacolod Police Station 1 chief, said.
Killed was Engineer Romie Yu Li, 52, the owner of Emerald Republic Hardware Inc. and a resident of Barangay Taculing, Bacolod City, the police reported.
The shooting took place in front of his hardware store at Bonifacio Street, Barangay 12, Bacolod City, Depasucat said.
The police were told that the victim was also a supplier and contractor, he said.
Witnesses said they heard two gunshots.
Initial police investigation said that the victim was shot by an unidentified assailant using an unknown caliber firearm.
Li sustained a gunshot wound on the back of his head. He was taken to the Riverside Medical Center by a Bureau of Fire Protection ambulance but was pronounced dead, the police added.
The gunman who was wearing blue shorts and a mask fled the scene on a sport utility vehicle (SUV) with no plate number, a witness said.
There was a driver and another person in the getaway vehicle, the witness said.
The victim’s mother was close behind him when the shooting occurred, the witness added.
Col. Joeresty P. Coronica, Bacolod police director, said they have initial information on the identity of the gunman and are reviewing CCTV footage in the area.
It is not clear what kind of contractor work Li was engaged in, Coronica said.
Depasucat said they are still determining the make of the getaway vehicle from CCTV footage recovered. The vehicle was described by witnesses as either black or silver.
They are also still determining the motive of the killing, he added.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gastaya, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, said “earlier today, a tragic shooting at the Central Market claimed the life of a local Filipino-Chinese businessman. This senseless act of violence has no place in Bacolod City”.
The city extends its deepest condolences to the victim’s family and is committed to supporting them during this difficult time, he said.
A full investigation is underway, led by the Bacolod City Police Office, with all resources mobilized to bring those responsible to justice, the mayor added.
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Gasataya has also scheduled a meeting with the Filipino-Chinese community and the Bacolod police director on Thursday, to hear their concerns, particularly regarding safety and security.
“Let it be unequivocally stated that Bacolod City maintains zero tolerance for violence. There shall be no leniency and no refuge for those who seek to disrupt the safety and peace of our city,” Gasataya said.*