4 shooting incidents mar Christmas break

Four separate shooting incidents took place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself. One of the fatalities was a taxi driver who succeeded in foiling his would-be robber, but was killed in the process last Sunday dawn.

SPO3 Zenaido Pastorfide told The FREEMAN that the driver of the taxi unit, bearing plate number GVV-245, was Magdaleno Batucan, 33, a resident of Basak, Mandaue City. He died before reaching the hospital.

Police said the suspect might have acted alone, and theorized that the suspect who posed as passenger, seated at the back of the driver, poked an undetermined caliber of firearm onto the victim's head and declared a holdup.

The victim might have resisted and tried to parry the gun away from him, but was shot in the process.

"Ang analisar namo, murag nisukol ning driver, pagpaling siguro niya sa armas unya nibuto naigo siya. Wala na makakuha sa kwarta ang tulisan kay daghan namang tawong nanan-aw," Pastorfide said.

There were people who reportedly happened to pass by at the said place, heard the shot and verified prompting the robber to escape empty handed. Police recovered the victim's wallet containing P1,932 cash found inside the vehicle.

Responding policemen of Mobile Patrol Group Car 009 rushed the victim to the Cebu City Medical Center, but the latter succumbed to injuries at the right side of his body and right forearm.

Two hours before the robbery-homicide incident, a 21-year-old prostitute was reportedly shot in the head by her male customer after refusing to engage in "second round" of sex with him. The incident took place in Junquera Street in barangay Kamagayan.

Pastorfide identified the suspect as Delfin Diegor, 45, a resident of Sacres, Mandaue City who was celebrating his birthday that morning with his friends and decided to hire the service of the woman.

After the first round, he reportedly asked the woman for a second round allegedly for free. But the victim refused which resulted to a heated argument.

The suspect allegedly drew a .45 caliber pistol and poked it at the victim's head, but the gun went off hitting the woman near the left eye. The suspect was seen hurriedly leaving the place towards the direction of Manalili Street.

It was the victim's live-in partner, a certain Jasen Torres, who took the victim to the city hospital where the woman was declared dead on arrival.

Barangay tanods of Kamagayan composed of Hermogenes Bones, Sr.; Gerardo Pasquite and Tomas Argapuda gave chase to the fleeing suspect and finally arrested him while boarding a taxicab along Manalili Street.

They recovered the murder weapon loaded with three live bullets, while police found one empty shell of a .45 caliber bullet at the crime scene.

Last Sunday morning, a 55-year-old man was found dead with a bullet wound on the left side of his face. The man was identified as Mario Encarnacion, a resident of Avocado Street in Mambaling.

Police said it was the victim's nephew, Gerry Encarnacion, 29, who saw him sprawled on the ground near his house past 8 am, prompting him to call for police assistance.

Pastorfide said no one saw who killed Encarnacion, but learned that prior to the discovery of his body, the victim was last seen celebrating Christmas with his neighbors and some relatives nearby.

Investigators will be inviting all the people who were last seen with the victim during the drinking spree.

Earlier that dawn, another man was shot and killed after trying to protect his brother from a group of men he got trouble with at El Tudtud Street in barangay Mabolo.

Police identified the fatality as Ruel Hongoy, 36, a resident of the said place. He was shot several times in the different parts of his body that resulted to his death.

Homicide investigators said that the victim was already in his house when a neighbor informed him regarding his brother Louigie Hongoy engaging in a fight with a group of unidentified men.

As he tried to come to help his brother, the suspects fled but later on came back already armed with undetermined caliber of firearms and started shooting Ruel.

Ruel was rushed to the hospital, but was declared dead on arrival. The suspects were reported to have made good use of the commotion that later on ensued to be able to flee the area unnoticed. Police is still looking into the identities of the assailants.

Aside from the shooting incidents, the homicide office also recorded more than four stabbing incidents on same days. - Edwin Ian Melecio