Illegal drugs eyed in Opol shooting incident

POLICE authorities are eyeing illegal drugs as motive in the shooting of a man in Opol town, Misamis Oriental past midnight on Monday.

Senior Police Officer 4 Eddie Tayone of Opol Municipal Police Station told Sun.Star that the victim, Marlon Udasco, 39, a resident of Zone 4 Barangay Iponan in Cagayan de Oro, revealed that he knew his gunman.

“That’s what he told us initially but we will wait until the victim would be better. He cannot speak yet because he was hit in his mouth,” Tayone said.

Based on the text messages from the victim’s cellular phone, police’s initial investigation showed that Udasco is suspected to have been involved in illegal drug activity.

“Maybe, they have a misunderstanding during the transaction or maybe no payment has been made. But we still have to investigate,” Tayone said.

Around 12:45 midnight of Monday, Udasco was shot by an unidentified assailant while on board his red XRM motorcycle bearing plate number KT 7599.

He sustained a gunshot wound in the lower portion of his mouth from an undetermined firearm, though police believed it was a revolver after no empty shell was recovered at the crime scene.

Although wounded, Udasco managed to drive his motorcycle and escaped. He later sought the help of police authorities stationed in a detachment in the area who brought him to the hospital.