Pardo scavenger shot dead

CEBU, Philippines - A 24-year-old man succumbed to fatal wounds after two motorcycle-riding men shot him dawn of yesterday in sitio Tayud, barangay Pardo, Cebu City.

Jayson Dejos was reportedly with a friend identified as Martin Bendejo, 33, learning from the latter on eking a living through the gathering of junk but recyclable items. It was learned that it was his first day to go with his friend to scavenge.

The two were sitting on the roadside when the perpetrators attacked them shortly after midnight yesterday.

Bendejo told police that he and Dejos, both residents of the place, just came from gathering junked plastic items near the area when they decided to take a rest for a while.

Just then, two unidentified men onboard a motorcycle stopped near them and that one of the assailants suddenly shot Dejos before speeding towards Cogon-Pardo.

The bullet reportedly hit the right arm of the victim which exited through the right side of his body.

His brother Joel rushed him to the Cebu City Medical Center. But he was declared dead at around 3 a.m.

Investigators led by SPO1 Sylvannius Abella recovered an empty shell of a .45 caliber firearm from the crime scene.

Demi Cabarrubias, deputy barangay tanod of Basak-Pardo, said that Dejos had been detained inside their barangay hall twice this year for alleged drunkenness and harassment.

However, Cabarrubias explained that the detention was for “safekeeping purposes only” and that Dejos was released on the same day also since he did not hurt anyone.

Dejos reportedly worked in a shellcraft factory before he was shot to death on the very day he went scavenging for the first time.

The FREEMAN tried to get the side of the city police but they were not available for interview as of this writing. — Niña G. Sumacot/MEEV (FREEMAN NEWS)