CEBU, Philippines - Two men on a festive mood were wounded in shooting and stabbing incidents in separate Lapu-Lapu City barangays on Christmas Day.
Vicente Cuizon, 48, a resident of Osmeña Street, Barangay Gun-ob and owner of VCI Enterprises was allegedly mauled and shot wounded by two unidentified suspects who were reportedly riding a motorcycle around 3 o'clock in the morning.
Cuizon was drinking with his friends and neighbors together with a certain "Tata" in front of his store, according to the initial investigation of Police Officer 1 Jade Querubin of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office Homicide Section.
Tata and his companion reportedly came to the store and eventually got off from the motorcycle.
The alleged suspects then went towards Cuizon, reportedly mauled the victim and shot him twice, hitting his right chest and leg.
The two suspects escaped onboard the motorcycle. Responding police immediately brought the victim to Mactan Doctors' Hospital for medication.
Four empty fired bullets, five live ammunitions and a magazine were recovered at the crime scene, according to Querubin.
Meanwhile, 32-year-old Joel Acosta, a resident of Sitio Relocation Site in Barangay Ibo, was stabbed by his drunk friend thirty minutes after the first incident.
The victim, together with his friends and neighbors, who were on a celebratory mood, gathered around for a drinking session, acording to the initial investigation of Police Officer 3 Luisito Ernie.
A certain neighbor nicknamed "Badon," who was heavily drunk, suddenly went towards the victim and reportedly challenged Acosta to a fistfight.
In the middle of his invitation to Acosta, he suddenly drew a bladed weapon tucked in his waist and stabbed the victim in his abdomen.
The alleged suspect fled from the scene, evading the responding police officers while Acosta was brought to the Lapu-Lapu City District Hospital by his mother and brother but was later transferred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
Police are still conductiung follow-up operations for the two incidents to possibly identify the suspects.