CEBU, Philippines - A businesswoman survived but her sister-in-law and driver were killed in an ambush perpetrated by two men on a motorcycle yesterday morning in Barangay Lawaan 1, Talisay City.
Maria Luisa Lapinid landed in the Talisay City District Hospital after she was shot in the abdomen. She was later transferred to a private hospital in Cebu City.
Lorna Lapinid, Luisa’s sister-in-law, was declared dead on arrival at the TCDH after she was shot in the chest. Luisa’s driver, Fritz Cobong, a former asset of the Guadalupe Police Station and a taxi driver, died instantly after he was shot in the left shoulder with the bullet piercing through to lodge in his chest.
Superintendent Germano Mallari, Talisay City Police Station chief, said their station received a report of a shooting incident at 9:40 a.m. near Camella Homes in Lawaan, Talisay City.
Mallari said that two unidentified men riding a dark-colored motorcycle were seen tailing the Nissan Sentra driven by Cobong in Barangay Lawaan before the ambush happened.
The assailants found the opportunity to attack after Cobong stopped the car to let a motorcycle-for-hire cross the road.
The motorcycle stopped beside the car and the man riding pillion pulled out a KG-9 machine pistol and opened fire at the driver’s seat and the backseat, emptying a full clip.
The two fatalities were seated in the front while Luisa was in the back. The two assailants immediately drove off as residents of the area called the police.
Paramedics brought the victims to the TCDH but both Cobong and Lorna were declared dead on arrival while Luisa was referred to a private hospital in Cebu City.
Mallari said although she was wounded Luisa managed to tell them what happened. She said she and her sister-in-law hired Cobong to drive them since he was off-duty from his regular job as a cabbie yesterday.
They first went to Lipata, Minglanilla town, to hear Mass at the San Roque Church early morning yesterday. They were on their way to the Guadalupe Church in Cebu City when they were ambushed in Lawaan 1.
Mallari said that the businesswoman, who owns a farm in Ormoc, was still in shock over the incident. For now, the police believe that the businesswoman was really the target of the ambush.
“Atong gitan-aw ani business tungod sa mga resibo sa padala nga dako og amount ug naa sad ni siya’y farm,” Mallari said.
The police recovered 14 spent 9mm shells from the crime scene. Mallari believes that based on the manner of attack the assailants were professional guns-for-hire. Police are now checking the place of the incident if security cameras were able to record the ambush. — /BRP (FREEMAN)