Two men shot dead in separate incidents

CEBU, Philippines - A team leader of Renz Marine Services, a contractor of Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, was shot dead by unidentified assailants while on his way home about 10:00 in the evening in Sitio Kamanggahan III, Barangay Buanoy, Balamban.

Joel Labaya, 39, married, a native of Cogon, Pardo, Cebu City and temporarily residing in Barangay Cantibas of the said town succumbed to two gunshot wounds on the back of his body causing his death.

Balamban police are now investigating if the killing was triggered by an alleged love triangle or if it was work-related after they recovered ‘love’ text messages in the victim’s mobile phone.

Labaya was onboard his Honda XRM 125 motorcycle bearing plate numbers 5625-IQ, when he was shot dead while heading home from Sitio Maigang, Barangay Arpili where he and his colleagues had a drinking session.

“Mura ni siya og giatngan daan sa dalan sa pagpaingon na og pauli,” SPO3 Arvie Banate, Balamban police investigator, said.

 One of the two bullets which hit Labayan’s back exited through his left chest. Police however failed to recover slugs or empty shells at the crime scene.

Banate said they scanned all messages in the mobile phone’s inbox to check if there were threatening text messages but all they read were messages of love.

“So far wa pa ko’y nakit-ang threat, balikon pa ko ni og scan pero initially daghan siya og love-love nga mensahe,” Banate said.

Labayan’s wife is working as a domestic helper in Oman.

In the police investigation, neighbors revealed that the victim and his brother-in-law are not in good terms because Labayan was allegedly having an affair with a married woman.

Police said that right after the incident, a woman identifying herself as Labayan’s girlfriend called from abroad and verified if Labayan was really shot dead.

Banate said they would not ignore other possibilities relating to the death of Labayan because of the possibility that he had an altercation with somebody before he left the place where he had a drinking session.

“Basin pud job-related kay basin nasuyaan lang ni siya kay team leader ra ba sa grupo sa construction workers,” he said, adding that so far they do not have an exact lead yet.

Police are planning further background checks today.

Meanwhile, playing a toss coin game locally known as “hantak” proved deadly for Christopher Empeynado, 28, of Sitio Hoyong-hoyong, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City who was shot dead in front of his playmates at 4:20 a.m. yesterday dawn.

Cebu City Police Office homicide investigator PO3 Ruth Violango told The FREEMAN that the victim was playing “hantak” with four other men when a single gunshot disrupted their game and killed Empeynado.

Violango said, minutes prior to the incident, the companions of the victim saw two suspicious-looking men passing by. 

When the two men returned, they were accompanied by another man wearing a red jacket who suddenly approached the victim from behind, pulled out a gun, and shot the victim in the head.  (FREEMAN)