Former Philippine welterweight boxer Pablo Pucay was gunned down by two suspected holdup men in Malate, Manila early yesterday morning.
The victim, a native of Benguet, died while undergoing treatment at the Ospital ng Maynila for a lone gunshot wound in the body.
Senior Insp. Dominador Revalo, chief of the Manila Police District homicide division, said the incident happened at the corner of Osme?a Highway (formerly South Superhighway) and Arellano Street around 3:30 a.m.
Arevalo said the victim was waiting for a ride on Osme?a Highway when two men suddenly appeared and tried to hold him up. The victim, however, resisted prompting one of the holdup men to fire his gun.
As the victim fell on the ground, the holdup men took his clutch bag then ran in the direction of Quirino Avenue.
Two pedicab drivers, identified as Herbert Jimenez and Michael Angelo Khan, immediately went to the crime scene after hearing the gunshot and brought the victim to the nearby Ospital ng Maynila.
Pucay, 45, was a contemporary of Olympic silver medallist Mansueto Velasco and started his boxing career in 1990. Pucay’s last fight was in 1997 when he lost to Korean Koo-Kyul Song.
