Police suspect Kamagayan shooting linked to illegal drugs

The wounded companion of the man who was killed in a shooting on Kabatingan Street in barangay Kamagayan on Tuesday may have been involved in a turf war on the illegal drug market, according to the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section in its follow-up investigation.

City Police director Patrocinio Comendador said that there were reports that Allan Catalan, who was hit in the shooting and is now in serious condition in a hospital, and his companion Esteban Albeos, who was slain, might have been the target of still unidentified attackers over this “drug issue.”

“The price of drug, na nagtikamahal, may result to turf war between the suspects and the victims as to who between them control the market,” said Comendador, adding that the shooting may have been related to illegal drugs.

The slain Albeos had earlier filed charges at the Ombudsman against some policemen in alleged robbery extortion case. Catalan, for his part, has been previously arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau for a drug-related offense and that his case is still being heard in court.

Albeos and Catalan, both Kamagayan residents, on Tuesday night had just finished playing basketball. A few minutes later they boarded a silver Honda CRV (GSM 201) but, on their way to Junquera Street, were waylaid and attacked by men on a black motorcycle.

Albeos, who was driving the car, was hit and died on the spot; Catalan was hit but survived and was taken to a private hospital by his older brother, Alfredo Jr., who was with the two in the car together with his wife Juana and their child.

Comendador further stated that they are trying to contact the family of Albeos, as well as of Catalan, but both were seemingly unwilling cooperate. “We will contact the relatives; we will invite them personally so that we could conduct interview on the backgrounds of the victims,” said the police official.

He said that even Catalan’s brother, Alfredo Jr., who survived from the shooting, would not cooperate with police investigators or even appear before the police to shed light on the matter.

Homicide investigators are still verifying leads to determine the cause of the shooting. They have been suspecting that it might be related to the illegal drug trade.

Comendador said he had deployed more policemen to secure the area over a one-month period due to possible recurrence of the incident there, as an aftermath of the latest shooting. — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/RAE