2 gunned down in Balamban

CEBU, Philippines - Two persons, including an alleged drug pusher, were shot dead by unidentified assailants in separate shooting incidents in Balamban town Friday.

Police are still clueless who killed Danilo Sepada, 28, of Barangay Matab-ang, Toledo City, who was found dead on the road in Sitio Luwas, Barangay Arpili, around 3 a.m.

An alleged drug pusher who was under probation for a murder case, Sepada succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body after a lone gunman ambushed him.

SPO1 Jose Villarino said Billy, Sepada's brother, advised him not to go to Barangay Arpili due to danger brought by typhoon Yolanda.

Sepada ignored the advice and went to Luwas, which in the vernacular means "safe".

Residents heard bursts of gunfire around 3 a.m., but it was only past 6 a.m. that they learned what it was about when they saw Sepada already lifeless.

The police said they learned that Sepada was an alleged drug pusher in the barangay. They suspected that grudge could have been the motive behind the killing.

"Possible nga dunay mga tawong naglagot sa biktima hinungdan nga gi-ambusan patay siya (that somebody there bore him a grudge and ambushed him dead)," Villarino said.

Hours later, an assailant sneaked into the house of trisikad (rickshaw) driver Joel Barbon, 33, in Sitio Katungdan, Barangay Pondol, Balamban and gunned him down while he was sleeping.

Barbon just came from a drinking session near his house and had just gone to sleep past 7 p.m. when the gunman managed to get in and shoot him once in the abdomen.

His wife rushed Barbon to the Balamban Provincial Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Villarino said nobody had a good look at the gunman, whom Barbon's wife said was wearing a red shirt, a pair of shorts, and a white shirt covering his face.

"Wala dayon makit-i kay nigawas man diretso ang gunman kay kana ilang balay wala may sira nadunggan ra kuno na sa asawa nga niingon ug agay; pagdagan samdan na (Nobody noticed the gunman when he entered because the house was not locked.  She just heard her husband exclaim in pain.  He was already wounded when he ran)," Villarino said.

Police failed to recover any evidence from the crime scene.

Villarino said they are also eyeing grudge as motive for the killing because Barbon served as a police informant.

"Maayo ni siya pero kung dunay mga badlungon o ba kaha dunay magpasalbar ma-aan man ni siya nga siya ang gatug-an pirmi. (He was a good man, but every time there are trouble-makers or there are victims who manage to locate the perpetrators, he always get suspected as the informant)," Villarino said.  (FREEMAN)