Friday, October 26, 2007 3 men who had just put up campaign posters shot at; two hit: one dead, one hurt
THREE persons, one of them a minor, who had just finished putting up campaign posters were shot in Barangay Poblacion, Compostela, Cebu Wednesday night.
Police did not classify the incident as election-related, saying they had several witnesses pointing to the gunman’s involvement in a fraternity.
James Samson Oros, 23, died of a gunshot wound in the neck while Justin Harvey Leonardo Mecaros, 24, was wounded in the back. His cousin, Lee Marvin Mecaros, 16, was unharmed.
The three had just finished putting up campaign posters of their uncle, Manuel Mecaros, who is running for barangay councilor.
As the three boarded their motorcycle to leave Palmera Drive, a man allegedly crept up to them and fired.
Identified
Arrested was Jumbo Salazar Pumar, 24, who was identified by witnesses as the one who shot the three.
SPO4 Florencio Balila of the Compostela Police Station said Pumar was aiming for Oros, who was at the back of the motorcycle.
After the bullet went through Oros’ neck, it went straight through to Justin’s back.
They were taken to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, but doctors declared Oros dead.
Witnesses quickly pointed to Pumar as the man who shot Oros, prompting police to proceed to his house and place him under arrest.
Pumar denied involvement.
But Balila said they had several witnesses who went to their station yesterday to issue statements that pointed to Pumar as the gunman.
The gun was not recovered but police found a deformed slug from the crime scene and submitted it to the Regional Crime Laboratory for analysis.
Pumar was also made to undergo a paraffin test yesterday afternoon.
Balila said they were preparing murder and frustrated murder charges against him.
While initial information is leading police to a fraternity-related incident, Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Carmelo Valmoria said they are checking if politics had anything to do with the shooting.
Poblacion, Compostela is not in the list of barangays classified as election areas of immediate concern or election areas of concern.
They still need to confirm Pumar and Oros’ links to two fraternities, though.
Balila said bystanders in the area claimed that Pumar and Oros belonged to rival fraternities and that they have had skirmishes in the past. (MEA)
