2 dead, 1 hurt in Carcar shooting

CEBU, Philippines - Two men were killed while another man was injured following a shooting in P. Vasquez St., Sitio Luan-Luan, Barangay Poblacion I, Carcar City, around 10:20 p.m. last Wednesday.

Two of the three victims, a man identified only as “Glen”, of Dauis, Mayacabac, Bohol and Reggie Pabroa, 16, of the said place; were declared dead on arrival at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City where they were transferred from the Carcar Provincial Hospital.

Glen succumbed to a gunshot wound in the abdomen while Pabroa died of a gunshot in the head.

 Juanito Saraga, 41, also of Dauis, Mayacabac, Bohol, was injured and is set to undergo surgery for a gunshot wound in his right thigh.

The Carcar City police are still looking into the motive behind the incident.

Prior to the incident Saraga and Glen together with Darwin Alpapara, the stepfather of Pabroa, were drinking in front of the house of a certain Ruben dela Peña, 62.

Pabroa was there because he was asked by his mother to go after Alpapara, however Alpapara already left when he arrived.

Pabroa decided to stay for a while and was texting on his cellular phone when three unidentified men on board a motorcycle arrived and shot at them before speeding towards Sitio Dapdap, Barangay Poblacion III.

Most of the residents of the area were watching a pageant some distance away from the scene when the attack occurred.

Elvira Cui, 39, the sister of Dela Peña, was watching the victims drinking outside the house since Saraga and Glen were new to him. Dela Peña just stood up to relieve himself when successive gunshots rang out.

Three bullet holes were found in the gate and three others were found in the concrete wall of the house.

When Dela Peña checked outside the victims were already lying on the concrete stairs, wounded. Neighbors then rushed them to the hospital and called the police.

Police recovered five empty shells of a 9mm cal. pistol and two slugs from a gun of unidentified caliber from the scene.

Carcar City police investigator PO2 Rosendo Binondo said they do not yet have the complete name of Glen because nobody really knew him. As of yesterday they were also not allowed to enter the operating room where Saraga was confined.

Fredo Milagrosa, 52, said Saraga, Glen and a woman were looking for a room to rent last May 21 and since Milagrosa had one vacant room at that time they accommodated the three.

Milagrosa said the three never introduced themselves and just gave him P800 as down payment.

“Dili man sad ingon gud kadudahan ilang dagway wala lang pud ko,” Milagrosa said.

When Milagrosa asked were they were working the three only claimed to be buyers of broken and damaged jewelry. Milagrosa said he longer saw the woman as of last May 27.

“Wala na lang pud ko mangutana kung hain,” he said.

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador said they have yet to determine if the shooting of Carl Vinson Apura, son of Carcar City Mayor Nicepuro Apura, had something to do with the current incident.

“So far wa pa’y nakita nga motive mura’g ang nahitabo sa anak ni Apura,” Comendador said.

Comendador added that the incident could be linked to the shooting of a 13-year-old in Sitio Upper Tubod, Barangay Valladolid, Carcar City, two weeks ago.

The boy was dancing with two other friends when they were shot. He was injured in the right arm and was taken to the Carcar Provincial Hospital. —/BRP (FREEMAN)