Couple survives ambush

CEBU, Philippines - A couple survived while a 30-year-old man was killed in two separate shooting incidents rocking Cebu City yesterday morning.

Couple Rodrigo and Juliet Alma Barquero were riding a car when two men onboard a motorcycle shot them along T. Padilla Extension, Barangay Tejero, Cebu City around 9: 45 a.m.

Rodrigo, 54, a liaison officer at Kia Motors-Mandaue City Branch, was injured while his 53-year-old wife was unhurt.

SPO4 Alex Dacua, team leader of Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section, said the couple was riding a dark grey Kia Rio when the two men riding a black Kawasaki motorcycle opened fire at them.

Dacua said the couple, who resides in Consolacion town, was on their way to Basilica del Santo Niño to attend a Mass when the incident happened.  The assailants, who both wore helmets, sped towards MJ Cuenco Avenue after the shooting.

Nobody was able to take down their vehicle’s plate number, Dacua said.

Rodrigo suffered gunshot wounds in his left forearm and left chest. The broken windshield also injured his body. 

The couple managed to get off the car and hailed a taxicab that brought them to Perpetual Succour Hospital.

Dacua said the couple still had no idea about the motive of the attack.

“Wa lang sa nato gisukitsukit og maayo kay samaran pa ang biktima,” he said.

From the hospital, Homicide Section personnel, who just came from another shooting incident in Barangay Duljo-Fatima, proceeded to the crime scene in Barangay Tejero.

They found the car parked along the road with at least 10 bullet holes in its windshield and recovered 16 empty shells from a KG-9 pistol from the crime scene.

Personnel from the Crime Scene Investigation Unit brought the vehicle to the CCPO headquarters for a trajectory examination.

Dacua said the attack could be related to Rodrigo’s job.

“Magrehistro kuno na siya og mga sakyanan so mao na’y atong gitan-aw na posibleng motibo,” the investigator said.

Based on their investigation, Dacua said the assailants were out to kill Rodrigo considering the number of empty shells they recovered.

Killed in Duljo

About 10 minutes earlier, Christopher Sarmiento was killed on the spot after he was shot by two men riding a motorcycle in Barangay Duljo-Fatima.

Sarmiento, a resident of Barangay Ermita, was driving a black motorbike and stopped during a red light at R. Padilla Street corner B. Aranas Extension when the men  shot him twice.

As the victim fell to the ground, the gunman shot him three more times in the head.

The gunman was wearing a brown jacket and camouflage shorts.

Police recovered six empty shells from a caliber. 45 pistol from the crime scene.

They also found a 9mm pistol tucked in the victim’s waist.

Police believe that the victim, who is a criminology graduate, is an informant of a law enforcement agency. — /LPM (FREEMAN)