Sleeping children killed in Philippines gun rampage
Pastor Dale Morgan
Sleeping children killed in Philippines gun rampage*
From correspondents in Manila
May 19, 2008 02:48pm
Article from: Reuters
NINE people, most of them sleeping children, were killed when a farming
village was sprayed with automatic gunfire outside the Philippines
capital of Manila, police said today.
Police had earlier suspected a lone gunman was responsible for the
shooting near Calamba town last night.
But regional police chief Ricardo Padilla told Reuters several men were
involved and that an old feud was believed to be the motive.
"We have received information that this could be a revenge killing
because of a long-standing family feud," police chief Padilla said.
Superintendent Nestor de la Cueva, the town's police chief, said a
former soldier was being questioned after an empty M-16 magazine found
near the crime scene bore his name.
"We have invited him to police headquarters," Supt. de la Cueva said,
adding the man had denied any knowledge about the shooting.
Police said the gunmen escaped after the shooting. Five of the dead were
children.
At least five people were wounded, police said, adding that the victims
were all from one extended family.
The shooting comes two days after gunmen killed 10 employees of a bank
in the nearby town of Cabuyao and emptied its vault. Police estimated up
to 15 million pesos (about $A367,000) was taken.
Nine of the dead were found lying on the floor of the branch. Another
died from his wounds in hospital.
No arrests have been made.