Caloocan barangay executive critical after daylight shooting

MANILA, Philippines - A Caloocan City barangay executive officer and his companion were seriously wounded when fired upon in broad daylight yesterday by at least eight gunmen in front of the local Land Transportation Office compound.

Superintendent Florendo Quibuyen, acting chief of the Caloocan City police, identified the victims as Ramon Mirana Jr., executive officer of Barangay 79, and his friend Anthony Esteves.

Mirana sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of the body, one in the chest that reportedly punctured his lungs, Maria Vinta Cruz, a Barangay 79 councilwoman who brought the victim to the Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, said.

“We are closely watching him because he is in critical condition,” Cruz told The STAR in a telephone interview. Esteves was also confined in the same hospital. His wounds are not life threatening.

Cruz said that Mirana was sitting in front of the drug testing office of the LTO in Caloocan City with Esteves, who was processing the renewal of his driver’s license, when fired upon by the suspects at around 9:45 a.m. Both of them were hit.

Quibuyen said that a yellow passenger jeepney with a Divisoria, Manila and MCU, Caloocan route but without license plate passed by the area where the victims were sitting. At least eight men alighted and some of them fired at the barangay officer.

The suspects fled on the same vehicle that sped off toward Malabon City.

Quibuyen said they already have a “lead” in the case as at least four witnesses showed up claiming they could identify some of the gunmen.

Chief Inspector Ruben Lacuesta, of the Northern-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, yesterday sent his intelligence officers to the LTO to gather “vital information and evidences which could lead us to the perpetrators. We are digging deeper into the case,” Lacuesta said. Police recovered at the crime scene shells for .9mm pistol and 12-gauge shotgun.

Mirana also served as close-in bodyguard of Barangay 79 chairman Emmanuel Cruz, whose house was strafed on April 15 and 16 by unidentified men. His pick-up truck was burned on April 14.

The Northern-CIDG and the local police were still trying to determine whether Cruz’s case has something to do with Mirana’s slay attempt.