But the three, upon seeing SPO2 Ricardo Abay, quickly scampered away prompting him to fire two warning shots to the ground.
The second gunshot however hit the pavement and the splinters hit and wounded Mariana Cabije the mother of his common law wife Violy.
Cabije was immediately taken to the Cebu City Medical Center while Abay did not bother to run after the three people, he suspected as drug addicts, because they were already gone.
Abay, desk officer of the City Police security and services group, said he was walking at the area at around midnight when he passed by a house where he sensed gambling and drug activities upstairs.
Then, as he was about to check, he saw three people, aged about 18 to 20, coming downstairs. He confronted them but they dashed off, prompting the warning shots.
Abay said he was already tired at that time but he reported the matter to SSG head, Supt. Mariano Natuel.
Cabije however said she has no plan to file a case against Abay because she knew it was an accident.
But police intelligence chief Paul Labra said he will ask SSG to submit a report on the incident, and order the homicide section to investigate and check the area where it occurred to determine if Abay has any liability.
Labra said the practice of firing warning shots has been discouraged long ago due to risks of harming people nearby. "...If naigo sa paa, it could be reckless imprudence resulting to physical injury," he said. - Emerald Dann L. Labay