96TH VICTIM A MISTAKE? Vigilantes strike again, but kill wrong person

So-called vigilantes allegedly operating in Cebu City struck anew Saturday afternoon in barangay Labangon, but were believed to have killed the wrong target.

Initial investigation revealed that a man wearing a wig and bonnet and armed with a .45 cal. pistol barged into the house of the victim, identified Michael Agaceta, at about 5:30 p.m. that day where a group of men were playing "tong-its".

The supposed target, reportedly Raul Dayongco, was watching the card game when he noticed the perpetrator was pointing the gun at him.

Dayongco then parried the weapon away and ran to a room where Agaceta, a trisikad driver, was sleeping at that time. The victim was Dayongco's brother-in-law.

The commotion awakened Agaceta who hurried his way out of the room, but met the gunman who eventually shot him five times hitting him on the head, leg and chest, killing him instantly.

Dayongco was spared from death and was nowhere to be found after. The gunman who reportedly had three companions as back-ups immediately fled onboard two motorcycles with no plate numbers.

There reportedly were many people in the area at the time of the incident, but that none of them managed to identify any of the four assailants, saying they were all wearing bonnets.

Agaceta's mother told police her 23-year-old son has no derogatory record whatsoever.

Further investigation revealed that as early as last week, suspicious men were seen in the area asking for the whereabouts and activities of Dayongco.

From the latter part of December to date, victims of vigilante-inspired killings have already reached 96. - Ryan P. Borinaga