Killed were Rudolfo "Ando" Druham, a furniture carpenter from Lawis, Ozamiz City, and Marlon "Bobby" Adulfo, a farmer, of sitio Kalubihan in Busay.
Initial investigation revealed they were playing mahjong at the house of Druham's uncle Rudy when four men on two motorcycles arrived and parked nearby at around 1:20 a.m.
The passengers got off, came closer and shot the victims at close range; one of them was reportedly armed with an M16 rifle, the other with a .45 cal. pistol.
Both victims were killed instantly while the assailants went back to the motorcycles and were last seen heading downtown.
Three slugs, seven shells and a live bullet for a .45 cal. were recovered from the crime scene as well as 12 empty shells for an M16. Police investigators could not directly say whether it was another vigilante killing since they are still checking the background of the victims. But there were rumors that the two were connected to the Kuratong Baleleng group.
Busay barangay captain Yody Sanchez said he could only vouch for Adulfo because Druham was not a resident in his barangay but of T. Padilla Street.
Although Sanchez said Adulfo was a drug user and was even jailed once for that he was never involved in crimes like robbery.
Adulfo's wife, who asked not to be named, said that the target could have been Druham and her husband was only in the right place at the wrong time.
But Druham's wife Edith said Adulfo was the target because she and Druham lived "a simple and good life". She said her husband was a good man and his only vice was cockfighting. Every Saturday he would go to Busay to visit his uncle Rudy where they played mahjong.
Rudy said Druham did not really know how to play mahjong but joined because they would buy beer with their winnings later on. He said Druham was born in Ozamiz City but moved to Cebu when he was 18 and found a job as a furniture carpenter who maintained a shop in T. Padilla.