Tuba gatherer hurt in shooting

A man is now in critical condition after he was shot by an unidentified assailant while on his way to gather tuba or coconut wine in sitio Curvada, barangay Banhigan, Badian town, last Saturday.

Armando Lobingco, 42, sustained several gunshot wounds to the left side of his torso and another gunshot wound to the left arm.

Lobingco was brought to the Badian District Hospital but was later transferred to a hospital in Cebu City due to the seriousness of the wounds that he received.

PO3 Jeremias Ilardo of the Badian police station said that the incident happened at around 7:50 p.m. last Saturday.

Lobingco was shot by the unidentified assailant several minutes after he left his house.

“Wala pa gyud nasuta kung handgun ba ni ang gigamit or shotgun ba kaha,” Ilardo told The FREEMAN.

PO3 Ilardo further said that the police did not know yet whether the assailant waylaid or followed the victim while the latter was on his way to gather tuba from a nearby plantation.

Police further disclosed that no one in the neighborhood was able to witness the incident.

However, Badian police believe the attack was committed by somebody with a grudge against the victim.

Further, police also said that a lot of people in the victim’s own neighborhood are angry at him because of his alleged unpleasant attitude.

“Padayon lang gihapon ang imbestigasyon,” Ilardo said, adding that they are doing their best to identify and arrest the assailant.  — Joy Kareen T. Saliente/BRP