3 hurt in shooting incidents

CEBU, Philippines - One died and three others were injured after they were shot by unidentified assailants in separate shooting incidents in the towns of Minglanilla and Carmen over the weekend.

In the Minglanilla incident, a 46-year-old man died after he was repeatedly shot by two unidentified assailants on board a motorcycle past 10:00 a.m. yesterday in Barangay Poblacion Ward I.

Lorito Menguito, married and from Barangay Tungkop, suffered multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body. He was rushed to the Minglanilla District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Menguito was onboard his Kawasaki motorcycle with plate number 5017 OC and was bound for Barangay Poblacion when he was gunned down by the two assailants.

Initial assessment of the police revealed that assailants were already waiting for Menguito in front of the Minglanilla Central School around 10:00 a.m.

When Menguito was already slumped on the road, the driver of the getaway motorcycle alighted and shot him several times.

“Naghayang na ang biktima unya gitiwasan sa driver sa motor,” PO2 Nikki Carlo Plarisan, desk officer, said in a phone interview.

Police have yet to determine the motive of the incident as the victim was not involved in any illegal activities.

Meanwhile in Carmen, three men were injured after they were shot by two assailants onboard a motorcycle a few minutes before midnight Saturday in Sitio Dual-og, Barangay Poblacion.

The victims were drinking when the gunmen arrived. The back rider alighted and shot the victims several times, hitting them in different parts of their bodies.

Those who were rushed to the Danao Provincial Hospital were Michael Canias Capuno, 23, single and resident of Poblacion and Roel Capuno Pasaje, 29, single and resident of Barangay Dawis Norte, both of Carmen town, as well as, Renan Bitoon Derecho, 25, single and resident of Bali-ang, Danao City.

SPO2 Renerio Masucol, investigator, told The FREEMAN there was no particular description of the assailants or even the motorcycle used by the gunmen.

Masucol said they are pursuing love triangle as possible motive of the crime as Derecho was having an illicit love affair with a married woman although he did not receive any threat prior to the incident.

“Sa among assessment mao na ang pinakaduol nga motibo,” he said in a phone interview.

Masucol said the gunmen stopped a few meters away from where the victims where. The back rider alighted and shot Derecho twice in the abdomen and left leg.

Capuno was also hurt in the left foot while Pasaje was wounded in the left leg and right arm.

“Patyon gyud unta ning target (Derecho) pero nakabantay man so ang target moving na, maong wala mapatay,” Masucol said.

Pasaje and Capuno were just included as they were with Derecho at that time. Police recovered seven empty shells of 9mm pistol in the scene.  (FREEMAN)