V-hire driver gunned down in Alcantara

CEBU, Philippines - A driver of a vehicle-for-hire died while one of his 12 passengers is in critical condition after he was waylaid by motorcycle-riding men while picking up a passenger in Barangay Poblacion in the southwestern town of Alcantara early morning yesterday.

Police identified the casualty as Victorino Torino, 53, of Barangay Poblacion, Badian.

The injured passenger was identified as Wilbert Timplado, 26, of Barangay Bala, Moalboal. He was heading for work when the incident happened. He was taken to an undisclosed hospital in Cebu City after he was hit on his upper left ear.

Torino succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds on different parts of his body, said Dr. Nicholas Nicdao, the municipal health officer of Ronda, a town next to Alcantara. Nicdao said the gunshot wound on the head caused Torino’s death.

Torino, who owns the GT Express V-hire with plate number GXE-846 that he was driving at that time, was traveling towards Cebu City from the terminal in Barangay Poblacion, Moalboal.

The V-hire reached the Alcantara Public Market about 6:55 am and was flagged down by a passenger near the Señorita Bakeshop. Just as the vehicle stopped, the unidentified suspects arrived on board the motorcycle, positioned right beside the driver’s side, and the man riding in pillion repeatedly shot at the windshield, hitting Torino inside.

Timplado was at the front seat at that time.

SPO2 Brendo Joel Beriarmente, chief investigator of the Alcantara Police Station, said Torino was shot on the neck, head, and left shoulder with the bullet exiting his back.

A witness said the two suspects were wearing jackets, used full-faced helmets, and were using a black-colored XRM motorcycle. They reportedly sped towards the mountain barangay of Candabong right after the shooting.

Beriarmente suspected that the suspects might have been tailing Torino from the terminal in Moalboal and were just waiting for the right timing.

The police recovered nine empty shells of 9mm bullets, concluding that the firearm used could be a KG-9 sub-machine gun.

Also recovered from the crime scene were Torino’s wallet containing almost P30,000 cash, a Rado wrist watch, a gold necklace, a gold ring, and a cellular phone which was turned over to his wife Estella. - (THE FREEMAN)