BAGUIO CITY – A 68-year old well-known local businessman died after he was repeatedly stabbed to death by a still unidentified lone assailant who was able to barge inside his house at 232 Ferdinand barangay here at around 11 pm Monday.
Senior Superintendent Rolando F. Miranda, officer-in-charge of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) identified the victim as Henry Tan Lao, 68, a local businessman who owns a number of the Tiong San chain of stores in Baguio and the capital town of La Trinidad, Benguet and a resident of No. 232 Ferdinand barangay, Baguio City.
Initial police investigation showed that at around 11 pm Monday, Lao’s neighbors reportedly heard loud noises emanating from his residence and then sawa male individual who came rushing outside and fled towards an undisclosed direction.
However, the neighbors did not report the said noisy neighbrhood to the police because it has been a normal occurrence when Lao and his male companions quarrel inside his house.
At around 10:30 am Tuesday, his relatives and concerned residents informed personnel of the BCPO Station 5 of the discovery of Lao’s lifeless body inside his house.
Miranda revealed \Lao sustained multiple stab wounds on the different parts of his body but the motive of the stabbing incident is yet unknown, thus, probers are conducting further investigation in order to ascertain the possible identity of the male individual who was seen rushing out of the victim’s residence Monday night.
It was learned that Lao’s cellphone and a huge sum of money that was inside his wallet were missing during the conduct of the investigation in the crime scene, thus, the conduct of a further investigation considering that there was no forcible entry in the businessman’s residence whereby probers theorized that the suspect was known to the businessman.
The police official said probers will provide updates on the developments of the in-depth investigation that is now underway to ascertain the identity of the suspect and the motive behind the stabbing incident.
