Resting driver shot inside taxi

CEBU, Philippines - A taxi driver, who was resting inside his cab parked at the roadside, was shot and wounded yesterday dawn in Mantawi Drive, Barangay Guizo, Mandaue City.

Police identified the victim as Donald Quella, 35, single and a resident of Cebu City but a native of Sogod town.

Quella, who was alive but remained unconscious as of yesterday afternoon, was the driver of a Holiday taxi with plate number GES 689.

Operatives of Special Weapons and Tactics found Quella lying unconscious at the driver’s seat of the car around 1:45 a.m. yesterday with a single gunshot wound on his forehead.

He was brought to Mandaue City Hospital and was later transferred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center where a surgery is yet to be performed to remove the bullet in his skull.

In an interview, Mandaue City’s Centro Police Station chief Senior Inspector Jimmy Fortez told The FREEMAN that they immediately conducted a hot pursuit operation in Barangay Mantuyong after witnesses saw a group of men running toward the interior portion of the barangay following the shooting.

They, however, failed to arrest anyone.

Fortez said they learned during their investigation that the victim frequented the area where he was shot.

“Diha man daw na siya mag-istambayan og sige. Kanang lugara diha man sad gud na ang tapukanan sa mga ‘carton girls’ ug mga bugaw busa ilado ang maong tawo sa lugar,” Fortez said.

A witness who was about to leave the area at the time of the shooting told the police that he heard a loud burst of gunfire, Fortez added.

However, the witness failed to identify the suspects as they were several meters away from the crime scene.

Other witnesses reportedly saw the suspects heading toward Barangay Mantuyong.

Fortez said his men are still conducting a follow-up investigation to possibly determine the suspects, as well as to identify the motive into the shooting. — Flor Z. Perolina (FREEMAN)