Two Chinese diplomats were killed and one was wounded after being shot at Lighthouse restaurant in Cebu City in the Philippines.
While celebrating his birthday lunch, consul general Song Ronghua was shot in the neck but luckily survived the attack. The male deputy of said consul general, Sun Chen, was shot in the neck. The other victim, Li Hui, a finance officer, suffered a shot to the head. The two were rushed to Chong Hua Hospital and Perpetual Succor Hospital but did not survive, according to police.
"We're still trying to determine the motive for the shooting," said Chief Superintendent Prudencio Banas, BBC News reported.
Authorities have already arrested the suspects, who used a .45 caliber pistol weapon. They were identified as 60-year-old Li Qing Liang and his wife 57-year-old Gou Jing, according to CNN Philippines. They are now detained at the Chinese Consular Office.
Chinese Diplomats Shot Dead in Gun Attack in Philippines https://t.co/f4Kw3pDnVV pic.twitter.com/5E8yLAXoJi
— The Nanfang (@thenanfang) October 22, 2015
After evaluating the security footage of the restaurant, authorities have identified that among the two named suspects, it was Mr. Li who fired the shots.
"The gunman just stood up and shot the two people to his right, and then he shot the person right across from him," police spokesperson Rey Lyndon Lawas said, according to The New York Times.
The police are still investigating the real motive behind the shooting.
The 53-year-old consul general has recently taken post in Cebu to smooth out diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines with regard to the issue over the territorial claims of Scarborough Shoal, The NY Times noted.
The Chinese Consulate General's office, the Chinese Embassy in Manila, and Beijing officials have yet to comment on the issue.
