"Jealousy" prompts man to kill videoke customer

CEBU, Philippines - A 22-year-old man was shot dead by a masked gunman reportedly over jealousy inside a videoke bar in Barangay Poblacion West, Moalboal town shortly after midnight yesterday.

The fatality was identified as Michael Paquera Dionaldo of Barangay Agbalanga of the said town.

Police investigation showed that the victim was talking and sitting beside his girlfriend, identified as Erlyn Mapa, inside a videoke bar waiting for their turn to sing when the gunman, whose face was covered with cloth, appeared and shot the victim before fleeing.

Dionaldo, who was hit to his left cheek and left side of the head, was rushed to the Badian District Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

PO2 Rommel Gacong, Moalboal police investigator, said they are now conducting a hot pursuit operation against the suspect who was positively identified by a witness.

Gacong, however, refused to reveal the name of the alleged suspect as they are still to invite him for an interrogation to determine if he was indeed the one who killed Dionaldo.

In another incident, three unidentified motorcycle-riding men shot a 16-year-old boy in Barangay Cogon, Dumanjug 4 a.m. yesterday.

The minor victim was with a friend and were on their way home after attending a benefit dance when the perpetrators passed by them. One of the passengers then shot at them, hitting the victim to the left and right portion of his back.

The victims, who are still very clueless on who could be harboring a grudge against them, failed to identify the perpetrators because it was reportedly dark.

SPO1 Joselito Abella of Dumanjug Police Station said the perpetrators were targeting the two boys but the other victim managed to evade the attack as he reportedly saw one of the perpetrators armed with a gun which prompted him to scamper for safety.

Abella said they are still determining the motive behind the attack and working on identifying the perpetrators. He added they could not say if the perpetrators were harboring a grudge against the victims since they are allegedly known to be “good children” in the place. — THE FREEMAN