This is a list of businessmen who have been assassinated or survived an assassination attempt or who were kidnapped in the fourth quarter of 2024.
A husband and wife, who were also business partners, were gunned down by motorcyle-riding men along the road in Mexico, Pampanga on Friday afternoon, October 4, authorities said.
According to the police report, the victims, identified as Mabalacat residents Arvin Dayrit Lulu and Lerma Waje Lulu, were shot by two unidentified male assailants while traveling in front of a residence in Paroba Street, Barangay Santo Rosario at around 4:20 pm.
The suspects fled the scene towards Jose Abad Santos shortly after the shooting.
The victims were reportedly aboard a black Hilux pick-up truck when they sustained gunshot wounds. However, Police Corporal Jonathan Roy Ilagan declined to provide further details as the investigation is still ongoing.
“The instruction to me was to investigate first since [the case] is still ongoing. Apologies, but we cannot provide any more details,” Ilagan told Rappler in Filipino on Friday.
Emergency responders from the Mexico municipal disaster risk reduction and management office transported the victims to the Mexico community hospital in Barangay San Carlos where they were declared dead on arrival.
Local police issued a flash alarm and launched dragnet operations across nearby municipalities. CCTV footage is also being reviewed for possible identification of the suspects.
Meanwhile, the Angeles Forensic Unit has been called to process the crime scene for further evidence.
Two businessmen were shot dead in Barangay District 1, San Manuel, Isabela on Friday morning, October 11.
Police Capt. Beltran Velasco Jr., San Manuel police chief, identified the victims as Lordwin Ganio and Christian Acierto, residents of Barangay San Andres, Cabatuan, Isabela.
Velasco said the victims and two companions stopped by the road on their way to San Manuel to deliver meat.
One the victim's companion went to a store to purchase drinks when a man appeared and shot the victims.
The suspect who was wearing a black jacket, short pants, and black helmet escaped onboard a motorcycle.
The victims were taken to a hospital where they were declared dead.
Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives recovered empty shells in the crime scene and conducting tests to find out the type of gun used.
Velasco said they are looking at business as a possible reason for the killing.
A businessman was killed by an unidentified gunman in Malolos City on Friday.
In a report to Bulacan police director Col. Satur Ediong, investigators said businessman Christian Burdeos Uchi, 31, was about to leave the Ace Medical Center parking lot when the gunman appeared and shot him dead.
The suspect fled on board a motorcycle, the report added.
Investigators are doing follow-up operations to identify and arrest the gunman.
A 44-year-old vendor was shot dead at the public market here on Sunday night, October 13.
Police identified the victim as Ariel Sabino Magsino from Barangay Tumbaga 1, this town.
Investigation said the victim was standing near a stall when a man wearing a black jacket and face mask onboard a car arrived and shot him.
The victim sustained multiple wounds and died on the spot.
The suspect fled towards the direction of Candelaria town, Quezon.
Police are conducting follow-up investigation.
A 42-year-old businesswoman was stabbed to death during an altercation with a customer over a debt in Sitio Stella Mariz, Barangay Bagong Bayan, this town, on Tuesday afternoon, October 15.
Police said the victim, Michelle Calubayan Rajarillo, married, went inside the house of the suspect, Arlene, 45, with live-in partner, to discuss her obligation.
Minutes later, the victim went out of the house with a stab wound in the chest.
The suspect fled and Rajarillo was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead from a stab wound.
Police are conducting a manhunt against Arlene who faces a homicide case.
Gunmen on a motorcycle killed a Moro couple who were moneylenders in an attack in Barangay Pagagawan, Montawal, Maguindanao del Sur, on Saturday afternoon, October 19.
In an initial report released on Sunday morning, Brig. Gen. Romeo Jaime Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office, stated that Soliven Salakob and his wife, Sempak Abas Salakob, both died at the scene from multiple bullet wounds.
The victims' moneylending operation extended through the towns of Montawal and Pagalungan in Maguindanao del Sur, as well as the nearby areas of Kabacan, Matalam, Aleosan, and Midsayap in Cotabato province, including its capital, Kidapawan City.
Local officials and police investigators told reporters on Sunday that the couple were riding a motorcycle on their way to Kidapawan City when they were attacked by two motorcycle-riding gunmen along the Cotabato-Davao Highway in Barangay Pagagawan, Montawal.
The duo first flagged down the victims at gunpoint, forced them to hand over their bags containing their cash collections and repeatedly shot them with pistols when they refused.
Relatives of Salakob and his wife told reporters that there is a possibility the two men targeted them deliberately due to significant unpaid cash loans.
“They had problems in collecting payments from clients who had loaned big amounts of money,” a cousin of Salakob, who requested anonymity, said.
Witnesses reported that the two gunmen first shouted invectives at the Salakobs in the Maguindanaon vernacular before gunshots were heard at the scene.
The assailants took the Salakobs' bags and removed items from their pockets before fleeing on their motorcycle.
A 54-year-old businessman was gunned down in a birth anniversary party in Barangay Manggalang 1, this town, on Saturday night, Oct. 26.
Police identified the victim as Roderick Geron.
Investigation said the victim was having a drinking spree when a man, Enrico, also a resident of Barangay Manggalang 1, appeared and shot him.
Enrico fled on foot and the victim was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.
Recovered from the crime scene were two fired caliber .45 cartridge cases which were turned over to the Quezon Provincial Forensic Unit in Lucena City for ballistic examination.
The suspect is the subject of a follow-up operation and faces a murder complaint.
A 54-year-old vendor was gunned down while driving an e-bike in Barangay Lingga, this city, on Wednesday morning, Nov. 20.
Police said victim Emelito A. de Luna of Barangay Sampiruhan here was on his way to the bay walk when the suspects – Mark and an unidentified companion – shot him.
De Luna died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds and the suspects fled onboard a motorcycle towards Barangay San Juan here.
Police are conducting follow-up investigation and hot-pursuit operations against the suspects.
A 39-year-old businessman was gunned down at the parking lot of his computer store in Barangay 40 here on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The victim was identified as Michael Garcia, 39, of Barangay 40.
Police Capt. Peter John Ramos, head of Police Station 6, said the victim was standing outside the store when two unidentified persons on a motorcycle entered the parking lot at around 3:30 p.m.
The back rider shot the victim.
Ramos said the victim was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead from bullet wounds in the shoulder, chest, and back.
Police are conducting follow-up investigation. Motive of the incident could be business, police added.
A businessman was gunned down and his wife and two-year-old child were wounded in Barangay Pinmaludpod here on Monday, Dec. 16.
Police identified the fatality as Ryan Agran Garcia, 39.
Garcia was driving a Toyota Veloz with license plates IAF-9806 and wife Mary Anne, 34, and two-year-old child as passengers when unidentified gunmen riding a black motorcycle appeared and shot them.
A truck driver, Gerald Aquino, 32, was wounded and his truck was hit by stray bullets.
The gunmen fled and the Garcias and Aquino were taken to hospitals here. Ryan was declared dead on arrival. Mary Anne and her child were wounded and recuperating.
Police are conducting follow-up investigation.
A gunman shot and killed a businesswoman in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on Wednesday, December 25. The victim was a community leader active in domestic peace and security initiatives.
Brig. Gen. Romeo Juan Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Thursday, December 26, that the merchant Marissa Barrozo died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.
She was standing at the entrance to her adjoining roadside stores, selling various commercial products, canned goods, rice and bottled water, in Sitio Semba in Barangay Tamontaka in Datu Odin Sinsuat when a man armed with a pistol approached her and opened fire, killing her on the spot.
Barrozo’s assailant and a companion, who acted as a lookout, had managed to escape before responding volunteer community watchmen and barangay officials could reach the crime scene.
Barrozo, a community leader who strongly supported the public service initiatives of the Tamontaka barangay government, was also known for gifting food to her Muslim neighbors and customers during the annual month-long Ramadan fasting season.
Officials of the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station and local executives are cooperating in identifying her killer for prosecution.
Macapaz said Barangay Tamontaka officials and relatives of Barrozo are uncertain yet if the atrocity that resulted in her death was related to her voluntary work as a community leader, or to her business.
A 32-year-old vegetable vendor was gunned down by his neighbor during an altercation in Barangay Laguerta, this city, on Monday morning, Dec. 30.
Police identified the victim as Bernie.
Investigation said the suspect, Guillermo, arrived onboard a motorcycle and confronted the victim.
A heated altercation erupted and the suspect shot the victim. Bernie died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.
The suspect fled towards Barangay Palo Alto, this city, onboard his motorcycle.
Police are pursuing the suspect.
