Two Passengers Shot Dead Inside a Public Bus

Two unidentified assailants fatally shot two passengers inside a bus while traveling along Carrangalan, Nueva Ecija last Wednesday, November 15. The victims, a 60-year-old woman from Cauayan City, Isabela, and a 55-year-old man from Koronadal, South Cotabato, were identified to be live-in partners. Police investigators are looking at a family dispute as a possible motive behind the killing.

According to reports, the victims boarded the bus at a terminal in Cauayan City, Isabela for a scheduled trip to Tarlac for their business. Meanwhile, the two suspects rode the bus in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, three kilometers away from Cauayan City. Two hours after the suspects boarded the bus, the two suspects approached and shot the victims who were seated in the front row. They then threatened the bus driver to open the door so they could alight the vehicle along Carrangalan, Nueva Ecija. The incident was recorded in the bus’ dashcam video that quickly made its rounds online.

Motive for Killing

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking into a family feud as a possible motivation behind the crime. In their initial investigations, the PNP found that “one of the victims, a 60-year-old woman from Cauayan, Isabela, had an argument with her son which led her to file a case for carnapping against him” While he is still considered as a person of interest, the son denied possible involvement in the crime.

The police will also probe into a possible “threat” on the life of the female victim, as conveyed by one of her siblings. According to the PNP, “the sibling also said that she [victim] had an argument with her son and in fact, it even reached the court. There was a case filed and, according to the sibling, a video recording where the victim was saying there was a threat on her life. That’s what the police investigators are trying to recover”.

The suspects of the murder have also yet to be identified, but police authorities suspect that they were hired hitmen.

Concerns on Public Safety

As the footage of the shooting circulated online, the public raised some concerns over the safety of individual passengers riding in public transportation. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) called on Victory Liner, the bus operator involved in the incident, to appear before the Board on November 21 for its alleged failure to provide “adequate, comfortable, and dependable land public transportation”

Meanwhile, Victory Liner Corporate Communications Officer Ricky Rivera conveyed that the bus company will be tightening security checks after the fatal incident. Authorities are also eyeing to bring back bus marshals given the incident. They will also adhere to the possible recommendations of the Department of Transportation and the PNP, in preparation for the upcoming surge of passengers this holiday season.