One dead, four others get injured in shooting incident

CEBU, Philippines - One died and four others were injured, including a seven-year-old boy, when two suspects fired at the victims while walking home from a benefit dance in Lubas 1, Barangay Campo 7, Minglanilla past 11 in  the evening last Saturday.

Rene Secretaria, 30, died of gunshot wounds on the neck and both legs and was declared dead at the Minglanilla District Hospital.

His brothers, Julius, 33 and Jojo, 23, suffered gunshot wounds in their right face and abdomen; while Danilo, 57 and the father of the victims, was shot on his left leg. Julius' son, John Mark, was hit on the abdomen and left arm.

The injured victims were also taken to the same hospital and were later referred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for further medication.

Police identified the suspects, who both eluded arrest, as Eden Secretaria, 40, a relative of the victims and a resident of Lubas 2, and his accomplice, James Bardiso, 40, of Barangay Kanluntaw, Talisay City.

PO2 Vincent Aliñabo, desk officer, said that the victims were walking home together with their wives when suspects approached them around 11:30 pm.

The suspects, as well as the male victims, were said to be under the influence of liquor at the time of the incident.

Jojo initially managed to run for safety but was chased and shot twice by one of the suspects.

PO2 Humprey Alpas and PO2 Omar Parajes, who were detailed at the benefit dance, immediately responded to the incident and were also shot by the suspects, but missed. This prompted the cops to retaliate but also failed to neutralize the suspects.

"Pagkadungog sa atong pulis nga dunay buto-buto miresponde sila kay di man gyud ana kalayo ang nahitabuan gikan sa diskohan pero hasta sila gipusil," Aliñabo told The FREEMAN.

Recovered from the scene were three empty shells of .45 pistol.

Aliñabo added that Eden and the victims had a personal quarrel even prior the incident and reportedly had an altercation while at the benefit dance. — (FREEMAN)