A 25-year-old man while riding a motorcycle was shot dead by multiple suspects near a barangay hall along a provincial road in Cortes town in broad daylight on Tuesday.

According to Senior Master Sgt. Roel Duetes of the Cortes Police Station, the victim who was identified as Marlon Baldoz of Loon town was gunned down while riding a motorcycle as one of two passengers in Barangay Lourdes at past 11 a.m.

The victim was killed in an apparent setup in which the driver of the motorcycle and the other passenger were also involved in the gun attack which took place about “20 meters” from the village’s barangay hall.

Duetes, based on a witness’ statement, said that the driver of Baldoz’ motorcycle suddenly parked roadside while a trailing motorcycle stopped beside them.

The trailing motorcycle’s passenger then alighted from the vehicle and shot Baldoz multiple times causing him to fall off the motorcycle.  

The gunman then fled the scene while Baldoz’ co-passenger also shot him before speeding away.

“Kaning bikima naa ni sa tunga, bali tulo ni sila sa motor. Dayon ang nagtira gasunod nila sa lain motor unya gipatungdan ang bitima,” he said. “Iyang kauban sa motor maoy nitiwas niya.”

The witness however was not able to see the suspects’ faces as they were all wearing full-face helmets.

Duetes said that Baldoz who sustained three gunshot wounds in the chest was still rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Crime scene investigators meanwhile found four .45 caliber and three 9mm spent shells at the crime scene.

According to Duetes, they have yet to identify the motive behind the incident as investigations continued.

He pointed out that the victim likely knew the gunmen as he appeared to have been willingly riding the suspect’s motorcycle.

“Mura’g kauban ra sila tanan, so posibli na ang biktima kaila ra sa mga nagtira niya,” he added. (A. Doydora)