Monday, December 19, 2005
Violence mars weekend
A VIOLENT weekend in Cebu City kept homicide investigators busy, as they responded to three shooting alarms and two stabbing incidents that left a neighborhood “toughie” dead and four persons injured.
All that happened within nine hours.
Two of the shooting incidents were fraternity-related, while the third involved a policeman who shot a drunk trisikad driver who tried to stab him.
PO2 Renato Berdon, 36, who is assigned at the Casuntingan Police Station in Mandaue City, shot trisikad driver Esmael Abejuela, whom he accused of trying to assault him at 9:30 p.m. Saturday on A. Lopez St., Barangay Labangon.
Berdon, who lives in the area, was responding to a call for assistance after being told that Abejuela, who was drunk, caused trouble with Berto Desoyo, a neighbor.
Abejuela allegedly attacked Berdon with a nine-inch fan knife, prompting the policeman to shoot him in the right side of his thigh.
Abejuela was taken to the Cebu City Medical Center for treatment.
Drinks, frats
Three hours later, two neighbors in Sanciangko Riverside, Pahina Central engaged in a stabbing incident triggered by an argument.
Arnel Waylon, 24, was drinking liquor with his neighbor, identified only as Junjun, when an argument ensued between the two, resulting in a fistfight.
Junjun reportedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Waylon, hitting him in the right arm.
At 2:36 a.m. yesterday, Jonilo Mabia, 22, a stay-in errand boy at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 in Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr., was shot in the chest by a robbery suspect who mistook him and his two companions as members of Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.
Mabia told homicide investigator PO3 Robert Escarlan that he and his friends Roseller Torion and Felizardo Delfin left the regional headquarters and proceeded to Fuente Osmeña rotunda.
Upon reaching Osmeña Blvd. in front of the YMCA building, a man identified later as Jean Berg Ian Baluna waylaid Mabia’s group and asked them if they were Tau Gamma members.
Waylaid
Before Mabia could reply, Baluna pulled out a .38 revolver and shot the victim twice, hitting him once.
Mabia was brought to the city hospital, while Baluna was later arrested by tanods of Barangay Sta. Cruz for a robbery alarm.
Police have yet to determine whether Baluna is a member of any other fraternity.
In a separate incident, Jerry Niala, 22, a trisikad driver, and Eddie Bautista, 28, an employee of Casino Filipino, were taken to separate hospitals after a shooting incident.
A stray bullet hit Bautista during the gunfire, initially blamed on six alleged members of the Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho) fraternity on R.R. Landon St., Barangay San Antonio.
Niala told police that he and his brother-in-law Vicente Alcover Jr. were walking in the area when a group of youngsters, allegedly Akrho members, blocked their way and asked if they were Tau Gamma members.
Even before Niala could reply, one of the members of the group pulled out a gun and shot him, hitting his left shoulder.
Niala managed to run and was later taken to the city hospital.
Toughie
Bautista told homicide investigator PO3 Rogelio Nedamo Jr. that he and a co-worker at the casino were on board a jeepney bound for Mandaue City when they heard successive bursts of gunfire.
Bautista felt pain in his right leg and found that a stray bullet had hit him.
But the worst of the incidents was that in Barangay Alaska-Mambaling.
At 5:30 a.m. yesterday, residents of Sitio Pungtod found the body of Angelito “Bunso” Rivera, 18, a known toughie in the barangay, dumped in a swamp, with at least 15 stab wounds and a green nylon rope tied around his neck.
Rivera’s body was brought to St. Francis Funeral Homes for autopsy.
Homicide investigators are still searching for a motive.
PO2 Jojo Ursaiz, a homicide investigator told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that Rivera was implicated in at least five murders and frustrated murders in the area for this year alone.
No charges, however, were filed against Rivera because nobody would stand as witness. (JST)
(December 19, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here.
|
