Three men shot dead in suspected frat war

MABALACAT, Pampanga — Three men were shot dead while their companion was critically wounded by four still unidentified attackers while they were on their way home from a fiesta celebration here before dawn yesterday. 

Superintendent Elmer Soria, Mabalacat police chief, identified the fatalities as John Nicole Vitug, 20; Mike Manalo, 25; and Russel Julian, 22, all residents of Barangay San Francisco here. Critically wounded was Marvin Canasa, 20. 

Soria said the four, who used to be classmates, had just accompanied two of their girlfriends to their homes after attending a fiesta party when they were accosted, held at gunpoint with caliber .45 and 9-mm pistols and told to kneel down near an acacia tree. While kneeling, Vitug, Manalo and Julian were immediately shot in their heads.

Canasa was able to stand up and run, but was fired at. He sustained a gunshot wound in the right arm, but was declared out of danger.

The gunmen merely fled on foot.

Soria said the three fatalities were known to be "good boys" in their neighborhood and seldom went out of their homes.

"The only reason why they were out that night was because Canasa invited them out," he said.

Soria said probers were looking into at least two angles: fraternity war and illegal drugs. He said the barangay is a known lair of illegal drug users and dealers.

Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, Pampanga police director, said, though, the fraternity conflict is the most probable angle, adding that Canasa seemed to have been involved in a fraternity. — Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu