15-6-2023 (MANILA) A Singaporean businessman was tragically gunned down on Monday (June 12) in the bustling resort town of Batangas province, located south of the Philippine capital, Manila.
The victim, Chan Kim Tay, 66, had recently left his grocery shop at a public market in Lian town and was en route to his residence around 6 pm when an unidentified individual approached him and shot him in the head, according to Sergeant Arthur Rosales, the assigned case officer, as reported by The Straits Times.
Lian is situated approximately three hours away from Manila by car.
Following the attack, Chan was rushed to a hospital in nearby Nasugbu town, where medical professionals pronounced him dead upon arrival.
Sgt. Rosales informed that local law enforcement is currently examining surveillance footage from the vicinity of the crime scene in hopes of obtaining vital leads regarding the shooter’s identity.
The investigator revealed that they are exploring several possible motives, including the likelihood of a domestic dispute as the trigger for the killing or the involvement of a contract killer.
Chan had been residing in the Philippines for approximately 30 years, as stated by Sgt. Rosales. He was married to Marife Chan, a 49-year-old Filipino citizen, and they have three children aged 28, 17, and 7.
Sgt. Rosales mentioned that during interviews, Marife Chan revealed that her husband had no known enemies and had not engaged in any recent conflicts with anyone.
Witnesses indicated that Chan largely kept to himself as he never learned to speak Tagalog, the local language, according to Sgt. Rosales.
Sadly, Chan’s case is not the first instance of a Singaporean national meeting a violent end while residing in the Philippines.
In August 2015, Stanley Jang, 36, who managed a computer company, was shot in the face by two assailants while working in his cubicle in Paranaque city, located just south of Manila.
Jang’s widow informed the police that her husband, who had been living in the Philippines for around 10 years, had received death threats due to a business dispute prior to the fatal attack.
