• Police identified the victim as 46-year-old Mohamed Rifard Mohamed Siddeek

A gunman shot dead a Sri Lankan businessman in Cotabato City in Philippines on Thursday afternoon, September 8.  

Police identified the victim as 46-year-old Mohamed Rifard Mohamed Siddeek who lived in nearby Barangay Semba in Datu Odin Sinsuat town, Maguindanao, the Rappler reported.  

A gun ban is in effect in Maguindanao because of a plebiscite scheduled on September 17, and the town where the victim lived would become the capital of a new province if Maguindanaoans vote in favor of splitting it into two.  
Police said Sideek and his Filipino wife were estranged.  

Sideek was attacked while he was stepping out of his car in downtown Cotabato at around 2 pm.