CEBU, Philippines - The 25-year-old son of Carcar City Mayor Nicepuro Apura was shot dead while attending a fiesta celebration at an open basketball court in Sitio Upper Tubod of the southern city a few minutes after midnight yesterday.
The victim was identified as Carl Vinson Apura, the younger of two sons of the mayor.
He succumbed to a single gunshot wound in his right temple.
Carl was declared dead on arrival at the Carcar City District Hospital where he was rushed by his friends.
The police are looking at various angles as motive of the crime.
Among those being looked into is the rivalry between the Alpha Kappa Rho and Tau Gamma Phi.
The victim was a member of Akrho.
SPO3 Jerame Tanudtanud, chief investigator of the Carcar City Police, said that Carl was with his friends attending a disco when shot at close range.
None of the victim’s companions was, however, able to see the face of the gunman, who used the dancing lights to help mask his identity.
Tanudtanud added that Carl’s friends noticed that he was hit only when he fell to the ground.
Companion?
Later in the morning, the police invited a 17-year-old boy, who was tagged by some children as a companion of the gunman.
Anthony Apura, elder brother of the victim, said that the boy is a member of their rival group, Tau Gamma.
The boy, in a talk with The Freeman, denied any involvement of the crime.
“Blind gyud ko ana nga incident,” he said.
A 20-year-old Tau Gamma member, who requested anonymity, was also invited to the police station.
He said that he knows that Carl was an Akrho member, but said that he cannot say if his group could do such thing to Carl.
“Wala man mi kalagot ana niya wa pud ko kadungog nga birahan siya.” (We are not angry at him and I haven’t heard that he would be killed), he said.
Victim’s brother
Anthony Apura strongly believes that the 17-year-old boy could name the gunman.
The elder brother said that he strongly believes the boy was with the gunman when the crime happened.
Anthony told The FREEMAN that when he was informed about the incident, he immediately rushed to the scene. Tubod is about 2.5 kilometers from the highway.
After going to the crime scene, Anthony said that he went to the police station in Poblacion and saw the boy on board a Kawasaki Aura motorcycle with plate number 4115GU.
“Diha ma’y mga bata nga maoy niingon nga siya kuno to ang kauban sa nagpusil, among gigukod dayon.” (There were kids who told me that he was with the gunman, so we ran after him), Anthony said.
Anthony and some companions were on board his Mitsubishi pick-up when they ran after the boy, who sped off.
Anthony’s group chased him until they reached Sitio Anonang, Barangay Liburon.
Anthony said he bumped the back portion of the motorcycle of the boy causing him to fall on the ground and run towards a secluded area.
According to the boy, he refused to stop because he feared for his life.
The boy even denied attending the disco in Barangay Valladolid.
Anthony, the elder brother, was once involved in a controversy where he was tagged as one of the suspects in the death of a fraternity member.
The case has long been dismissed.
Mistaken identity
Mayor Apura believes that the death of his son might be a case of mistaken identity.
He would not, however, discount the fact that somebody might have been envious of his son.
He said that while he wants justice for his son, he will leave it to the police to do the investigation.—/NLQ (FREEMAN)