Businessman shot, killed in front of store

A furniture shop owner, who was a distant relative of a former Philippine National Police chief, was killed in front of his store by an unidentified assailant Sunday night in Pasay City.

Superintendent Deanry Francisco, chief of Pasay police investigation unit, identified the victim as Michael Ian Versoza, 40, businessman, and last resided on Pestanas St., Pasay. He died from multiple gunshot wounds in the head and the body.

Francisco said that Versoza was a distant relative of former PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza.

The incident, which was caught by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, showed the assailant who was wearing a bullcap and clad in black shirt and shorts.

Initial investigation revealed that Versoza was about to close his furniture shop, located at No. 180, Arnaiz Ave., Libertad Street around 9 p.m. when the incident occurred.

According to a report by PO3 Alberto Barangas Jr., case investigator, Versoza was locking the sliding steel door of his store when the gunman appeared and shot him in the face.

As if not contented, the assailant planted more bullets to Versoza’s body to the horror of the witnesses before he fled on foot towards Libertad Street.

Stay-in helper Jaylord Morfe, 21, told the police he thought the gunshot he heard came from a tire that exploded.

“(I) closed the door of the store and then (Versoza) told (me) to go first and he will follow. He padlocked the steel door, while I started walking away to fetch my wife. I heard a gunshot, at first I thought it was just a tire that exploded but moments later, people started running towards the direction of the store,” Morfe narrated in Tagalog.

Morfe then saw his employer already bloodied on the ground so they rushed him to Pasay City General Hospital. Unfortunately, Versoza died while undergoing treatment at 10:32 p.m., according to attending physician Dr. Jaime Manalang.

Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) found a fired cartridge case at the crime scene while investigators have conducted a follow-up investigation to identify the suspect and the motive behind the killing.

“Meron kaming follow-up investigation now dahil may binigay na ID ‘yung wife ng victim allegedly ito daw ang huling nakausap,” Francisco bared.

Francisco refused to divulge the identity of the ID holder for security purposes and confidentiality.