by Isabella Magno

A shooting incident happened along C5 Katipunan Avenue, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Gate 3 NB, on Sunday, July 24, just before the Ateneo Law School graduation ceremony, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said in a tweet at around 3 P.M.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director Remus Medina confirmed that the said incident resulted in three deaths and two injuries. 

According to the National Capital Region Police Office, the three people who died are Rosita Furigay, the former mayor of Lamitan City in Basilan; Jeneven Bandiala, a guard in Ateneo; and Victor George Capistrano, executive assistant of Furigay. 

Furigay’s 25-year-old daughter is currently being treated at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center, while another unnamed individual was caught in crossfire. 

QCPD identified Chao-Tiao Yumol as the shooter; motives lead back to his personal feud with Former Mayor Furigay.

According to the shooter, he blended in a large crowd to get inside the lobby of Ateneo and waited for the family of Former Mayor Furigay.

Moreover, Barangay Loyola Heights Captain Don Hayes confirmed that the perpetrator was apprehended near Aurora Boulevard, and is currently under police custody at the QCPD headquarters in Camp Karingal as of 4:11 p.m, after a chase along Esteban Abada St. 

Additionally, reports from QCPD, Brgy. Loyola Heights said that the shooter climbed a wall in front of the barangay hall to get to the Varsity Hills Subdivision. 

He then escaped by ramming the village’s gates in a getaway car to Aurora where he was later caught. 

Meanwhile, the official student publication of ADMU, The Guidon, said in a tweet that the campus is in lockdown as of 3:46 p.m.

“Shelter-in-place protocols for those inside campus are being enforced,” they added in the tweet.

Further, Atty. Mico Clavano from the office of the Justice Secretary said that the National Bureau of Investigation has sent a team to ADMU to further investigate and provide help to the victims and school officials.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the commencement ceremony, but he was told to turn back since he was still in transit when the incident happened, according to Supreme Court spokesman Brian Hosaka.

The school announced on its official social media pages that the 2022 Commencement Exercises of the Ateneo Law School have been canceled and that they are working with the police and other authorities to deal with the incident.

As of 6:27 p.m., QCPD said that the situation in ADMU is already under control. 

Thumbnail from Mark Demayo