Boy hit by stray bullet; Anti-crime member killed

CEBU, Philippines - A grade 5 pupil was hit by a stray bullet as an ex-convict was being chased by an unidentified gunman yesterday at Sitio Lawis, Barangay Pasil, Cebu City.

The 13-year-old boy was hit on his right buttock while sleeping inside their house as their neighbor Robert Herquillo, 36, was running from an unknown gunman at around 3 am.

Homicide investigator Ruth Violango said Herquillo was looking for his brother when he saw the assailant sitting on a bench.

She said a few minutes later, the assailant reportedly pulled out a gun and tried to shoot Herquillo who managed to evade the first series of shots.

The gunman, however, did not stop and chased the victim while firing additional shots. It was at this time that the 13-year-old boy was hit.

He was rushed to Visayas Community Medical Center. Herquillo managed to hide but was still rushed to Cebu City Medical Center after he was hit on the left part of his face and on right side of his body.

The gunman reportedly fled after running out of bullets.Violango said they are eying the possibility that drugs may be the motive behind the attack because Herquillo was jailed in 2002 for drug charges. 

A member of the Carcar City Anti-Crime Task Force was shot dead while attending a wake at Sitio Upper Tawog, Barangay Valladolid, of the same city on Friday dawn. Armand Alegarbe Lacoy, 41, of Sitio Tapon, Barangay Poblacion, of the same city, succumbed to a lone gunshot wound on the upper back after an unidentified gunman shot him at around 3 a.m.

PO1 John Melon of Carcar City Police Station said the victim purposely visited the place to attend a friend’s wake when the incident happened.

Melon said the victim played a card game locally known as tong-its along with several men when the gunman suddenly approached him from behind.  

Lacoy’s playmates and other guests reportedly ignored the assailant who pulled out an unidentified gun and shot the victim in front of his playmates.

Lorna Dentor, of legal age, who was also visiting the wake, was also grazed on her left leg by the same bullet which hit Lacoy. She is already out of danger.

The assailant immediately fled the wake while firing shots in the air prompting bystander and guests to scamper for safety. Witnesses failed to identify the gunman. Lacoy was rushed to the Carcar City district hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The police recovered a deformed slug believed to be from a .45 pistol.

Investigators are eyeing the possibility that the incident was because of his job as a member of the city’s Anti Crime Taskforce.However, they are still exploring the possibility that personal grudge may be another motive behind the attack.

 Meanwhile, Poblacion, Carcar barangay tanods Carlo Villaflor, 38, and Quirino Dabon, 50, sustained minor contusions on different parts of their bodies after they were allegedly mauled by a group of men after they tried to pacify them from arguing with an eatery owner along Paras Street, Carcar City on Friday dawn. 

Investigators said both victims were conducting their routine patrols together with elements of Carcar City Police Station when they spotted brothers Raymond, 21, and Brando Manacio, 24, and Ramy Roque, 24, all from Barili town who were reportedly arguing with the owner of the eatery where they were dining.

Both tanods asked the suspects to stop but instead of listening, they attacked both victims at around 1 am.

The suspects reportedly charged towards the victim and grappled for the tanod’s batons or “batuta”, which they used in beating the victims. The three suspects are currently detained at the Carcar City Police Station while charges for direct assault are being prepared against them.  (FREEMAN)