Drug personality gunned down

CEBU, Philippines - Fifty-year-old Roberto Libby Artus, a resident of Crossing Taclobo in Dumaguete City was shot dead at 2:18 a.m. yesterday by riding-in-tandem assailants along Dr. Meciano Road and Locsin Street in the city.

Artus sustained four gunshot wounds, two of which were on his back, and was declared dead on arrival by attending physicians at the Holy Child Hospital in Dumaguete.

Initial police investigations disclosed that Artus first was drinking with a certain Ramcy Adante, 21, resident of Bagong Dalan, and after consuming two bottles of beer each, said he wanted to go home.

Artus rode on his motorcycle but, only minutes later, Adante heard four successive gunshots and later found Artus blooded on the ground.

Eyewitnesses said they saw a black Rauser motorcycle passed by the area and then heard gunshots. The driver was wearing a white sleeveless t-shirt while the backrider was wearing a dark t-shirt.  After the first two shots, Artus fell and the gunman fired two more shots at the victim before fleeing.

Superintendent James Goforth, Dumaguete City Police chief, said Artus is going in and out of jail due to illegal drugs. Recovered from the jacket of Artus were illegal drugs paraphernalia, said the police official, adding that investigators have been looking into the drugs angle behind the killing. —(FREEMAN)