Trike driver gunned down in front of church

A 20-year-old tricycle driver was shot dead by a man onboard a motorcycle in front of a church near the Caloocan City Hall Friday, police said.

Police identified the victim as Ronnie De Guzman, 20, of Libis Espina, Barangay 14, Caloocan City.

Investigation showed that at 4:30 a.m., De Guzman was having a drinking spree together with his friends in front of San Roque Parish Church when a motorcycle-riding man appeared and shot him several times.

Witnesses told investigators that the gunman wearing a helmet, black shirt, with a tattoo on his right arm, immediately sped off towards unknown direction.

Fellow tricycle drivers brought De Guzman to the Caloocan City Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival.

Eight pieces of cal. .40 Smith and Wesson empty shells were found on the scene. Investigators disclosed that De Guzman was a former drug user.

“He’s kind and very young. He’s a drug dependent but that was before. He already stopped using illegal drugs,” a colleague of De Guzman told the Manila Bulletin.

De Guzman was not included on the updated drug watchlist, said Hernani De Guzman, Caloocan City Anti-Drug Abuse Council officer.

However, Agapito Gamboa, Caloocan City Action Force monitoring staff, disputed the statements.

“Maraming reklamo diyan kasi nanggugulo madalas – palagi ako dito kasi sa monitoring team ako kaya alam ko – at saka nagbebenta