Driver's gun goes off

CEBU, Philippines - A driver of a motorcycle-for-hire who was transporting a passenger landed in a hospital after his gun went off and hit him in the abdomen last Saturday evening.

Darryl Oliverio, 19, of Barangay Bali-ang, Danao City, sustained lone gunshot wound in the abdomen and was rushed to the Danao Provincial Hospital for medication before he was transferred to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for further treatment.

SPO1 Bryan Batiquin, homicide investigator, said Oliverio had a firearm tucked in the waist while he was transporting his passenger to Barangay Manlayag when a single burst of gunfire rang out.

This prompted Oliverio and his passenger to disembark. The passenger noticed that Oliverio was bleeding so he rushed the driver to the hospital.

Batiquin said they could no longer find the firearm of Oliverio from the scene.

“Possible gikuha gyud to kay medyo layo man gud ang lugar,” Batiquin said in a phone interview. (It was possibly taken by someone else.)

Batiquin added that the firearm was allegedly prepared by Oliverio for self-defense due to fiesta celebrations at that day.

Violation of RA 8294 or illegal possession of firearm is being prepared against Oliverio.

— (FREEMAN)