‘Drug user’ found shot dead

CEBU, Philippines - An alleged illegal drug user was found dead with gunshot wounds to his body inside his house in Barangay Sambag II, Cebu City yesterday.

Samuel “Samboy” Amance, 41, was found by his brother Danilo Amance sitting on his bed at 6 am with his body bearing at least five gunshot wounds believed to have caused his death.

Initial investigation revealed that Danilo, who lives near the victim’s house, reportedly heard bursts of gunfire coming from his brother’s house on Friday night but just ignored it, thinking that his brother was only playing with his toy gun.

The following morning, Lydia Gallego, a neighbor, told Danilo’s wife Jacqueline that she saw two armed men walked out from Samuel’s house after hearing the gun shots.Jacqueline then told Danilo about it, prompting the latter to check on his brother and eventually discovered him bloodied and apparently already dead.

Samuel sustained gunshot wounds to his left cheek, chin, left side of the hip, left arm and right side of the chest.

Senior Police Officer 4 Rey Cuyos of the Homicide Section said they are still investigating the motive of the killing, though they are initially looking into illegal drugs after empty plastic sachets with traces of alleged shabu and a tooter were recovered from the victim’s shanty.

Cuyos added that they received information from the neighbors as well as from Danilo that the victim was a drug user and that his shanty was a drug den.

Also recovered from the crime scene were two empty shells of 9 mm caliber, an empty shell of .45 cal. pistol and a toy gun owned by the victim.  (FREEMAN)