British national and family ambushed; 2 teeners dead

TWO teenagers were found dead in the highway of Balamban town just as a British man and his family reported they were ambushed in the area by two men on a motorcycle.

While members of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) were investigating the ambush on Frank Richard Bell, 60, and his family past 3 p.m. Sunday, the Balamban Police Station was also busy trying to find out the circumstances surrounding the death of two teenagers found in Barangay Cansumoroy.

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Acting Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Erson Digal said they are waiting for the results of an autopsy to find out if the teenagers were shot.

He said there were wounds that appeared to be caused by a gunshot but said only a medico-legal officer could say for sure.

The two were identified as Marlon Allan Flores Borja, 19, and Harold Flores, 17, his cousin.

Initially, Bell said that when two men on a motorcycle shot at his vehicle, he ran them over and sped towards Cebu City without checking to see what happened to them.

Bell’s Kia Sorento had five bullet holes. He also suffered some injuries on his face. One of the bullets shot through the top part of his windshield and shattered the glass.

Digal said Borja’s father claimed his son had an affair with Bell’s Filipino wife Juriza.

Borja and Flores, who hailed from Toledo City, had asked permission to go to Balamban.

Witnesses said they were seen standing by the road when the Kia Sorento passed by.

They quickly hopped on their motorcycle and followed the van.

Bell said that as he was driving to Cebu City, the motorcycle with two men overtook his vehicle from the left side and suddenly shot at the vehicle. This was corroborated by witnesses, who claimed they heard gunshots just as the motorcycle got close to the Sorento.

Bell said that he hit them and then drove straight to Cebu City to report the shooting to the police.

The two were found sprawled on the concrete. A team from the Scene of the Crime Operations recovered a motorcycle, two helmets, one of which was broken, three empty shells fired from a .45 pistol and their personal belongings. No gun was found.

PIB Chief Rodolfo Albotra said that they will invite Bell, Juriza, and their daughter’s nanny Majessa Alcover to give their statements.

For now, he said they could not consider Bell a suspect yet because he was a complainant. (MEA)