Businessman shot, injured

CEBU, Philippines - A businessman landed in a hospital after four unidentified men riding on two motorcycles blocked his way in Saint Peter, Barangay Tunghaan, Minglanilla Cebu Wednesday afternoon.

Virgilio Balloria, 47, a distributor of a softdrinks company’s branch in Minglanilla, suffered from a gunshot wound on his left shoulder after one of the four unidentified men fired at him.

Based on the investigation conducted by the Minglanilla Police, Balloria, his son Rafael and friend Antonio Cabuana were on their way to work riding a Toyota vehicle bearing plate number YBP-195.

Along the way, four unidentified men, two in each motorcycle, blocked their way. One of them fired at the Toyota’s wheel and windshield.

After that, the four disembarked from their motorcycle and approached the Toyota vehicle and started rummaging inside.

Police believed that the four men planned to rob the victims. The victims, though, said that the men did not declare a hold-up.

PO2 Jade Abrica told The FREEMAN that the four men were wearing helmets to cover their faces. The victims, however, said they could still identify or describe the men despite the helmet.

The police also said that the shot fired by the men only served as a warning shot, and that they did not have any intention of killing them.

The four men failed to get something from the victims so they immediately fled, especially since they noticed the policemen coming their way.

The victims told the police that one of the motorcycles used was a white XRM while the other one was a blue Honda wave.

Balloria was immediately taken to the South General Hospital.

The police are still conducting further investigation to identify the suspects, even as they are looking at the possibility that it was an inside job. (THE FREEMAN)