Another fratman shot dead

A day after the deadly drive-by shootings that killed three men and wounded four others, another student believed to be a member of the Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity was shot dead along Colon Street last Friday afternoon.

The student who died before reaching the Cebu City Medical Center was identified as Mark Vic Lucero, 19, a Computer Engineering student in one of the universities in the city.

Lucero was shot several times by an unidentified man while he was standing in front of a bar located at the corner of Colon and Sikatuna streets.

Police said, the victim bore a circular scar at the back of his right wrist, a scar that serves as the ritual mark of the said fraternity.

He was rushed by responding PO1 Edcel Petecio and PO1 Alfred Casas of the Mobile Patrol Group to CCMC but was declared dead.

Investigators suspect the shooting could be related to the intense rivalry of fraternities and gangs in the city.

In last Thursday’s shooting, investigator SPO2 Jay Yballe of the Homicide Section said, they now have one witness to the shooting.

The two survivors in Sambag Uno shootings are still in the hospital, one of them Redon Pelleren is said to be scheduled to undergo another operation, he was hit on the left side of the chest, while his friends William John Aznar, 24, and Lord Stepher Vasquez, 18, were killed.

Before they shot Aznar and Vasquez, the men also shot and killed Lawrence Morados, 32.

The Homicide Section have already requested the PNP Regional Crime Laboratory to do cross-matching of the empty shells recovered from the three crime scenes which are all from .45 cal. bullets.

In response to the threat of drive-by shootings, the Cebu City Police Office conducted wide patrol operations to include foot patrols on the streets particularly in places where fraternities and gangs frequently hang out.

City police director Patrocinio Comendador has also ordered police station chiefs to conduct more patrols in their areas of jurisdictions especially in areas frequented by students near schools.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has also asked Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch chief George Ylanan to make a list of fratmen with standing arrest warrants.

The mayor wants to employ the same tactics he did a few years ago; giving a reward for each wanted fratman arrested.

In 2005, City Hall offered rewards for wanted fratmen and most of them were arrested and the other voluntarily surrendered with the help of their parents.

But Akrho member Arestotle “Ares” Aves, the most wanted fratman in the city with six arrest warrants for murder, homicide and frustrated homicide, was never arrested.  — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP