Sunday, August 6, 2017

Watch: SM Southmall Shooting, Pasay City Councilor Shot Dead by Riding-in-Tandem (Video)

A Pasay City councilor was shot outside the SM Southmall in Las Piñas, Saturday night, August 5. Hundreds of mall shoppers ran for their lives after hearing the gunshots. Photos and videos of the incident were posted on Twitter, as netizens warned the public not to go near the area. Shortly after, the SM Supermalls issued its official statement on the issue.



"There was an incident that happened, in the driveway outside the mall, involving a male customer. The customer was immediately attended to and taken to the nearby hospital accompanied by our emergency response team." A statement reads at the official Facebook page of SM Supermalls, explaining what happened at SM Southmall.

"The incident necessitated the temporary closure of that particular area to ensure the safety of the people in the vicinity. Our security, together with the local PNP, has already declared the mall safe to be re-opened. The Mall is back to normal operations. A joint investigation with the PNP (Philippine National Police) is currently ongoing." It added.

Earlier reports said that the gunshots came from two groups outside the SM Southmall, and one person was shot. The victim was identified as Pasay City Councilor Borbie Rivera, who was immediately brought to Asian Hospital, also in Alabang. He was reportedly shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen outside Door 4 of SM Southmall at around 8:30 p.m.





According to GMA News, Councilor Rivera's security men were able to fight back, but the gunmen has managed to escape. A few hours later, Las Piñas City police chief Senior Superintendent Marion Balonglong announced that the victim was declared Dead-on-Arrival at the said hospital. Apparently, this is not the first time that he was ambushed.



Last June 23, at around 4 am, Councilor Borbie Rivera and one of his bodyguards were shot by unidentified riding-in-tandem in Pasay City. In April 2015, he was arrested on charges of murder of a certain Mark Felizardo Baggang in a drive-by shooting in Barangay Pio del Pilar, Makati in January of that year. Nevertheless, a court acquitted him.

Contributed by Karenina Saulo

No comments:

Post a Comment