A regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Makati City was shot dead by a lone assassin along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City on Monday.
Police have yet to establish the motive behind the killing of Jonas Amora, whose vehicle was riddled with bullets.
Amora’s driver, Angelito Pineda, was also injured but was able to call for help after the shooting. He was rushed to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
Initial investigation revealed that Amora’s car was at the corner of Topside Road and Libis Street in Barangay Escopa 2 when the assassin opened fire, killing the BIR official instantly.
Quezon City Police District Director Senior Supt. Guillermo Eleazar said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) is investigating the case.
Investigators recovered 10 bullets from a 9mm caliber pistol. The police also found P300,000 cash in Amora’s back pack.
Eleazar said police investigators are trying to establish the identity of the gunman as well as the motive behind the killing.
The BIR condemned the killing and called on the public not to speculate on the motive of the attack.
“The motive of the killing is still not known pending the completion of the investigation of the incident and the public is cautioned from making any speculations or drawing conclusions therefrom in deference to the family of the slain director,” the agency said in a statement.
Amora, a Certified Public Accountant and religious person, rose from the ranks, starting his career as a revenue examiner.
He was known in the BIR as a “dogged workhorse.”
Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay said the shooting incident will not deter the BIR from doing its work if the intention was to sow fear among BIR employees. He however asked all BIR employees to be more vigilant.
The Revenuers Gun Club, Inc. (RGCI) and the BIR Employees Association (BIREA) also condemned the killing and vowed to support efforts to resolve the case.