Man kills brother over land dispute

CEBU, Philippines - An argument over land that they inherited from their parents prompted a man to shoot to death his elder brother in Sitio Tugop, Barangay Lepanto, Alegria town Cebu last Saturday evening.

Vicente Ybas, 38, voluntarily surrendered to the Alegria Police Station after he shot his brother Marcial, 48, near their residence.

Based on the investigation conducted by the police, the two had a heated argument at around 10 p.m. about the land that was left by their parents to the care of the victim being the eldest among the siblings.

Vicente added that he was already inside his house when Marcial came and allegedly harassed and attacked him using a hard object.

To defend himself, Vicente claimed he immediately took a 12-gauge homemade shotgun and shot Marcial, hitting him to the upper portion of his right breast.

Vicente, with the shotgun, then went to the police station to surrender and report the incident.

SPO3 Rotillo Pardona, officer-in-charge of Alegria Police Station, together with SPO1 Romelito Obligado, PO3 Renato Abellar and PO1 Jevy Erojo immediately responded to the place of incident for ocular inspection.

The police officers said Marcial was still alive when they arrived and they rushed him to the Reinhard Wertgin Memorial Hospital for treatment but he died minutes after arriving thereat.

Vicente is temporarily detained at the police station while waiting for proper charges to be filed in court against him

Meanwhile, two persons were wounded in Cebu City when attacked in separate incidents in barangays Luz and Sto. Niño yesterday morning.

 In the first incident, Dionesio Tino, 46, a tinsmith, sustained a hack on the face after he was attacked by his drinking buddy in Sitio Sto. Niño, Barangay Luz shortly after midnight.

Before the incident, the victim and the suspect, Jonathan Zamora, 36, a construction worker, were allegedly seen having a drinking spree on Cabantan Street. But minutes later, probably due to influence of liquor, an argument allegedly ensued between them that prompted the suspect to draw a bladed weapon and hacked the victim.

Tino was taken to the Perpetual Soccour Hospital by responding paramedics from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.

Barangay tanods Joel Gelig and Dante Palconit conducted a pursuit operation against the suspect and arrested him in his house in the nearby Sitio San Vicente. The blood-stained knife, measuring nine inches, was also recovered from him.

The arresting officers turned over the suspect to the Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office for proper disposition and detention.

In another incident, June Anire, 47, a native of Marawi City in Mindanao, was shot by an unidentified gunman while he was driving a bicycle on his way home in Barangay Ermita at about 12:50 a.m.

 Anire said he was at the corner of Lapu-Lapu and MC Briones Streets, near the SRP exit when the assailant suddenly shot him.

The bullet grazed the right portion of the victim’s head and was taken by the responding SRP on-duty guards to the Cebu City Medical Center for medication.

Anire told police he has no idea who shot him, saying he can’t remember of anyone harboring grudge against him as he has no enemy. — Niña G. Sumacot and Mellanie C. Rosales/WAB (THE FREEMAN)