Man dies, worker injured in shooting incidents

CEBU, Philippines - An alleged thief is dead while a utility worker for an eatery was injured in two separate shooting incidents in Cebu City yesterday dawn. Josephus Villanueva, 36, of C. Padilla Street, Barangay Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City was shot dead while asleep on his bed at 4 a.m. yesterday by an unidentified assailant.

Homicide Investigator PO3 Ruth Violango told The FREEMAN that the victim was sound asleep on the second floor of their house when the assailant reportedly sneaked into his room.  

“No one saw the assailant when he entered and left the victim’s house,” Violango said in Cebuano.

Once inside the victim’s room, the assailant shot the victim several times which resulted to his immediate death. “The assailant shot the victim at close range,” she said.

After the shooting, the assailant immediately fled on foot, leaving his victim dead and bloodied in his own bed.

Violango said the victim’s 67-year-old father, Vicente, heard gunshots while he was using the toilet.

“The father had no idea that his son was shot. When he saw his son already dead, he boarded his bicycle and personally reported the incident to the police,” Violango added in Cebuano.

The victim sustained eight gunshot wounds while seven empty shells believed to be from a caliber .45 were recovered at the crime scene. Violango also said that the victim’s family did not cooperate with their investigation. “Wala gyud mitabang ang iyang mga pamilya. Bisan iyang amahan wala gyud mi-balik sa crime scene,” she said.

Investigators are now eyeing the possibility that the victim was killed because of personal grudges.

“Gi-ila man gud ni siya sa iyang mga silingan nga kawatan kuno,” Violango added. 

Meanwhile, Jolito Monreal, 23, a utility worker for an eatery in A. Lopez Street, Barangay Calamba, Cebu City survived a shooting incident at 4 a.m. yesterday.

Violango who also investigated the incident told The FREEMAN that the victim was talking with his 16-year-old cousin when a certain Eugene arrived with an unidentified companion. Monreal reportedly greeted Eugene when he saw the latter but instead, the suspect replied saying, “Naa mi kulatahon (we will maul someone).”

The suspect then pulled a gun and shot the victim hitting him on the left side of his stomach and on the right side of his hand.

“Tungod sa babaye ang posible nga motibo sa pagpamusil,” Violango said.

He was immediately rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center where he is currently recuperating from his wounds. Recovered from the crime scene were three empty shells of what investigators believed to have come from a caliber .45. — (FREEMAN)