One killed, two hurt in shootings

CEBU, Philippines - A barangay tanod landed in the hospital after he was shot and injured in Villagonzalo II, Barangay Tejero, Cebu City yesterday morning.

Rommel Lim, 43, was hit in his left arm with the bullet piercing through his body. He was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center and is now out of danger.  

The suspect, 24-year-old Bobby Arnel Cabahug, was arrested while trying to escape.

Cabahug is reportedly a member of Bethans Gang.

Tejero barangay councilman and The FREEMAN reporter Garry Lao Lao said Lim and the other barangay tanods were stationed near the Blessed Sacrament Church around 9 a.m. when they spotted Cabahug armed with a K9 submachine Ingram pistol.

The barangay tanods were supposed to arrest Cabahug, who was with a cohort onboard a motorcycle, when the suspect suddenly fled while opening fire.

The suspect, after his arrest, said he was at the area to reconcile with a certain Dario, with whom he had a verbal tussle the previous night.

Cabahug said they were supposed to reconcile when residents in the area suddenly approached them.

Thinking they were going to attack him, he promptly got inside the house of his friend, a certain Itchoy, and took the pistol.

He said he tried to defend his friend so he opened fire, not knowing he had hit Lim.

Cabahug ran and went through the roofs of several houses. He went inside Lao’s house and stayed there for about three minutes then escaped through other houses.

He reached MJ Cuenco Avenue and was about to ride a public utility jeepney but passengers pushed him away.

Responding policemen arrested him and recovered the gun from his possession.

Meanwhile, an alleged theft in barangay Poblacion, Consolacion was shot dead by an unidentified man about 1 a.m. yesterday.

The victim, identified as Edgar Zabala, 40, died from five gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.

Police disclosed that a concerned citizen, who saw Zabala sprawled on the ground, called for police assistance.

According to the concerned citizen, he was walking home when he heard gunshots about 100 meters away.

Investigating policemen recovered five empty shells and a slug of a .45 caliber pistol from the crime scene.

Police Officer 1 Julius Patac suspects that revenge could be the motive behind the killing of Zabala, who was allegedly known as a theft in the area.

Zabala has two pending theft cases at the Municipal Trial Court in Consolacion and was the subject of several complaints filed with Consolacion Police Station.

Zabala’s body was brought to Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, a person who tried to pacify a trouble between two groups during a fiesta celebration in Toledo City was in critical condition after he was shot by a member of one of the groups.

The victim was identified as Ricky Abarquez, who sustained a gunshot wound to his head.

A resident of sitio Planta, Barangay Poblacion, Toledo City, Abarquez was rushed to Toledo City General Hospital but was later referred by attending physician to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

The victim is still in the Intensive Care Unit. (FREEMAN)