Philippines: 2 sleeping passengers shot dead inside public bus

A shooting incident inside a public bus shook Filipinos' social media feeds on Wednesday evening — especially since the killing was caught on camera and the video went viral.

Two elderly passengers, who appeared to be sleeping on the front-row seats of the bus, were shot dead as the Manila-bound Victory Liner bus was travelling on a road in the town of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija province, said the police, which shared a footage of the incident.

The victims reportedly rode the bus from the terminal in Isabela province while the two unidentified gunmen boarded from the province of Nueva Vizcaya, according to local media reports, quoting a senior police official.

"They died on the spot after being shot three times," the officer from the Carranglan police said.

In the video, everything seemed normal on the bus initially until two men wearing face masks stood up from the back row. They walked towards the front, pulled out their guns, and shot the couple.

The 55-year-old man and 60-year-old woman were believed to be live-in partners, the authorities said.

According to the police's initial investigations, a family dispute could have triggered the attack.

"It seems like the woman's child is not in favour of her relationship with the man. Another angle is that, the 60-year-old businesswoman recently filed a carnapping and robbery case against her child," the police chief told the media. The male victim also had a child, but was yet to be interviewed.

Further investigations are ongoing, with the footage from the bus' camera expected to give the police a strong lead on the gunmen's identities.

As the video went viral, Filipino Netizens called for tighter security measures at bus terminals. Metal detectors and strict screening, they said, could help ensure public safety.

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