Vigilantes kill 3 more, wound boy

Three more deaths over the weekend believed part of a resurgence of vigilante killings brought to four the number of people killed in just two days in Cebu City. A 12-year-old boy was also hit by a stray bullet in one of the attacks but survived.

Shot dead Saturday night in barangay Suba was Teofanes Badayan, 31, who was gunned down at General Gines Street in barangay Suba by two motorcycle-riding men.

The victim, who resided at barangay Babag Dos, this city, was drinking coffee at the roadside when he was attacked.

Witnesses told the police that the back rider disembarked, approached the victim, and without warning shot him several times at close range hitting his torso and stomach.

As the victim fell to the ground, the witnesses told the police, that the gunman pumped one more bullet to the head of Badayan before fleeing.

PO2 Edario Manatad told The Freeman that the victim has been frequenting the said area and was sometimes seen with people involved in drugs.

"Mag-anhaan daw na siya sa lugar manggamitay man kuno niya siya og drogas base sad sa nasagap natong impormasyon didto," Manatad said. He could not however confirm if the victim has criminal records.

Two other were gunned down within minutes of each other yesterday. Both victims were known to have criminal records.

Police identified the latest victims as Reynaldo Cañete, 38, of sitio Mahayahay in barangay Mabolo and Emmanuel Alburo, 26, a.k.a. Botsoy of sitio Villagonzalo Uno, barangay Tejero this city. The two were killed in a span of 35 minutes. The 12-year-old boy was hit during the attack on Cañete.

SPO1 Rey Cuyos of the Homicide Section told The Freeman that the killers of the two victims worked in pairs on board two different motorcycles.

Cañete was standing at the side of the road across a mall at the North Reclamation Area near a roadside eatery when two unidentified men on board a red motorcycle arrived at around 9:55 a.m.

One of the suspects wore a helmet while the other had his face covered with a cloth. The two stopped near the victim and the back rider pumped bullets at Cañete.

Cañete was killed instantly after bullets hit his head and body. The boy, who was hit by a stray bullet, was helping his uncle at his eatery.

He was hit on the chest and was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center. Doctors have already pronounced him out of danger.

The Scene of the Crime Operatives found four empty shells of .45 caliber ammunition at the crime scene.

Cuyos told The Freeman that Cañete was convicted and imprisoned at Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center and was released only on June last year. He was jailed for an illegal possession of firearm charge.

Thirty-five minutes later, before the Homicide Section could finish working around the crime scene where Cañete was killed, another former convict was gunned down at McArthur Boulevard in Villagonzalo Uno, barangay Tejero.

Alburo, was doing vulcanizing work at a makeshift shop at the said place when two men on board a green motorcycle both wearing

helmets appeared and the back rider peppered him with bullets killing him instantly. He was hit three times, twice in the head and once in the right forearm, the suspects immediately fled towards the direction of Plaza Independencia. Investigators found three empty shells of .45 caliber ammunition and a slug.

Police could not confirm yet if the killers were the same suspects who did the separate killings.

Yesterday's newspapers also reported the killing of a former convict last Saturday afternoon at Greenside St., barangay Hipodromo. The fatality was identified as Dante dela Torre.

These series of extra-judicial killings started in December 22, 2004. The unofficial count has already reached 172 victims, but police could not all confirm these as the handiwork of vigilantes since they believe some are just copycats.

Most of the victims were either previously involved in robberies, snatching, theft and even illegal drugs.

The first victim based on the Homicide Section records was Jimmy Duarte, a.k.a. Ulo, 36, who was shot and killed at the corner of V.Sotto and Arellano Street this city. In 2005 alone, at 91 former convicts were gunned-down.

In spite of these numbers, the Homicide Section admitted having difficulties finding witnesses and determined family members to cooperate in their investigations, rendering their efforts useless.-/NLQ