Basketball referee shot dead in Mambaling

CEBU, Philippines - Bullets tore the body of a man who died immediately after he was shot repeatedly by two men riding in tandem on a motorcycle in sitio Puntod Alaska, Barangay Mambaling at past 12 am yesterday.

Rolando Pasumala alias “Tambok”, 54, who works as a basketball referee, no longer made it alive to the hospital.

The police informant, Florencio Magtagan, 44, said that Pasumala was sitting on a chair watching him fixing his water dispenser bin at the roadside when a motorcycle arrived and stopped before them.

Two men in black and white jackets were onboard the motorcycle and were wearing helmets.

The back rider reportedly pulled out a gun and shot the victim many times.

Magtagan witnessed the victim kneel to the ground after getting hit by the initial shots and finally lay dead when the assailants peppered him with more bullets.

The assailants then sped off towards an interior area and left the place, Magtagan further disclosed to police.

Responding policemen found the victim’s body lying on his belly with gunshot wounds in the different parts of his body believed to have caused his immediate death.

Police are still trying to determine the motive behind the attack.

PO3 Lou Pagara of the Homicide Section said they learned from the victim’s live-in-partner that the victim had no known enemies.

Pagara said they will check if the victim figured in any argument.

Five empty shells and two deformed slugs of a caliber .40 pistol were recovered from the crime scene.

The body now lies at a funeral home and was subjected to an autopsy.  (FREEMAN)