2 men shot dead in Balamban

CEBU, Philippines - Two men, including a worker from a known shipbuilding company in Cebu, died after they were shot repeatedly in separate incidents in Barangay Buanoy, Balamban town.

The victim, Jimmy Badiang, 44, who worked as a welder at Tsuneishi Heavy Industries based in the town, was gunned down at past 3 am yesterday while the other victim, Eugene Ian Acha, was also shot to death at 8 pm last Friday.

Badiang, a native of Surigao del Norte, was found dead inside his rented room with a gunshot wound on his back.

Badiang’s boardmate, Onesimo Cudis, 26, said he was inside his room when he heard a burst of gunfire from the victim’s room, prompting him to check what happened. He then saw Badiang lying on his bed already bloodied.

Police recovered an empty shell and a slug of a caliber .45 pistol, drug paraphernalia, and a small sachet with suspected shabu inside Badiang’s room.

PO1 Donard Pitogo of Balamban Police said the incident may be drug-related. The victim reportedly had no known enemies and had been staying in Balamban for years.

Meanwhile, a still unidentified man shot to death Eugene Ian Acha, 30, outside a barber shop in Barangay Buanoy at 8 pm last Friday.

Acha, a resident of Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, reportedly goes to Balamban from time to time and worked as a barber at his friend’s shop.

He was standing outside the shop when a man, who was wearing a hard hat and a Tsuneishi jacket, arrived and suddenly shot him several times.

The victim died immediately of gunshot wounds on his head and chest while the assailant casually escaped on foot, said Pitogo.

Four empty shells and two slugs of a caliber .45 pistol were recovered from the crime scene. A knife was also found tucked on the victim’s waist, Pitogo said, most probably for self defense.

Pitogo said they are still investigating the motive behind the attack on the victim.

The victim, he said, had stabbed someone in the barangay last year, which could be a possible motive of the assailant.

The police officer said the assailant may have also been using the uniform of the shipbuilding company to divert the police. (FREEMAN)