Police checking if motive of EDSA shooting incident was business-related

Police are checking if the motive of the EDSA shooting incident on Sunday was business-related as one of the killed victims was a businessman.

"Kung titingnan natin, si Mr. Yulo ay negosyante po. Marami siyang negosyo so isang anggulo po 'yun na maaaring motibo po sa pagpatay sa kanya," Senior Superintendent Moises Villaceran Jr., chief of Mandaluyong police, told Dobol B sa News TV on Monday.

Villaceran said authorities will communicate with the bereaved family of the victim to check if he had received threats prior to the incident.

"Kakausapin natin 'yung pamilya. Aalamin natin kung may threat ba o posibleng makabigay ng lead para sa solusyon ng kaso na ito," he said.

Initial investigation showed that armed men aboard a black motorcycle pumped bullets at the passenger side of a white Toyota Hi-Ace van (NOS 361) with the following victims on board: Jose Luis Yulo, 62; Esmeralda Ignacio, 38, from Las Piñas City; and Nomer Santos, 51, the van owner.

Yulo and Santos died in the hospital while Ignacio is still recovering.

According to Villaceran, the shooting incident was "well-planned."

"Professional ang dating ng mga suspect natin. Kung titingnan natin ang pag-perpetrate nila ng crime na ito, medyo professional ang dating at well-planned," he said.

"Alam nila kung saan ang area na ma-traffic, 'yung area na walang deployment 'yung MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority), Highway Patrol at pulis natin," Villaceran added.

Police already created Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Yulo to hasten the probe of the crime and to conduct a manhunt for the perpetrators of the crime.

In a separate interview on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday, National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar urged the public to report any information that may help in solving the case.

"Tayo'y nananawagan na rin sa ating mga kababayan na kung may nakakaalam o naka-witness ng pangyayaring ito, ipagbigay alam lang po sa atin upang makatulong sa paghahanap ng mga leads at information regarding this incident," Eleazar said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KG, GMA News