Man shot dead by co-worker

CEBU, Philippines - A construction worker died after he was shot by a construction site caretaker shortly before noon yesterday at the corner Escario and Juana Osmeña streets, Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City.

Joey Abella, 33, was eating his lunch around 11:45 a.m. when Cerilo Delicano, alias “Che-Che”, came and shot him, hitting him four times in different parts of the body.

PO1 Cristobal Geronimo said the two got into a heated altercation a few hours before the incident and the argument continued until lunch.

The victim, a resident of sitio Nica, Barangay Guadalupe, was connected to the TMRG Trading Sales and Services based in Mandaue City while the suspect is a native of Barangay Mantalongon, Barili town.

He also reportedly serves as a stay-in caretaker, property custodian, and at the same time security guard of the construction site for the proposed Best Western Lex Capitol Hotel, Geronimo also said.

Geronimo said that the victim was eating his lunch together with other co-workers when the suspect approached.

“Nganong isog man ka?” the suspected said, to which the victim replied, “Pahumana sa ko og kaon.”

At this point, the angry suspect reportedly shot the victim four times with a .45 cal. pistol hitting him in the right side of his chest, abdomen, right leg and left arm before fleeing.

The victim was rushed by his fellow workers to the Cebu Doctors’ Hospital where he was declared dead at 12:35 p.m.

The cadaver will be taken to the St. Francis Funeral Homes along N. Bacalso Avenue and will be subjected to an autopsy while a hot pursuit operation is now being conducted against Delicano. (FREEMAN NEWS)