Sunday, November 25, 2007 Shooting hurts 2 in 2 hours, as police asks for ‘sobriety’
TWO men, including one who was fired upon by a suspected robber, were injured in a span of two hours in separate shooting incidents in Cebu City last Friday night.
One perpetrator fled on a bicycle, while the other rode a public utility jeepney.
Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador, however, appealed for the media not to “sensationalize” reports of shooting incidents.
He was referring to reports on a recent Barangay Tisa shooting that injured two brothers who were hanging out in the area.
While he acknowledged that the suspects indeed drove by the area in a vehicle and shot at the group, Comendador said the term “drive-by” seems to “create undue panic,” as if there are gunmen who shoot at will anytime within the city.
Gunmen on board a multicab opened fire as passed along F. Llamas St., hitting brothers Alex, 17, and Jovani Navarro, 23.
At a distance from them was another group of young men whom the Navarros believe are gang members.
The group, they said, was the target but the Navarros were the ones hit instead.
Comendador said they see this case as a fraternity-related incident and that this could have been in retaliation to an incident at a nearby gym the day before.
“We cannot control how you make headlines. But the term makes it appear that the city is dangerous. There is that perception that anybody will just drive by and shoot anyone,” he said.
He said Cebu is much safer than other areas of the country such as Mindanao.
To address fraternity and gang violence, Comendador said they will “penetrate campuses” beginning next week.
He instructed the Mobile Patrol Group and beat patrols to include campuses in their areas of responsibility, and make their presence felt.
“Because of recent events, we will no longer have a passive or preventive approach to the problem. I conferred with my staff and we decided we will have an affirmative action,” Comendador said.
He said they will start roaming “standby areas” of these gangs and will begin accosting them and bringing them to police stations to get their names and pictures.
Asked if this will not raise eyebrows from human rights advocates, Comendador said this action does not place them under arrest without basis.
He explained that the purpose is to find out why they are gallivanting in certain areas at night.
He said they can also be charged with vagrancy if they cannot prove means of livelihood.
In last Friday’s incident, Anthony C. Tajanlangit, 23, jobless, of Sitio Calamansi, barangay Carreta was taken to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for a bullet wound in the abdomen.
That was after a man identified only as “Bulldog,” of Ponce Dos, Carreta, shot him around 10:20 p.m. while he was playing bingo on M.J. Cuenco Ave. in Barangay Lorega San Miguel.
Tajanlangit said he was with his friends when he noticed the presence of the suspect, prompting him to leave.
But before he could go, Bulldog shot him twice. The bullet hit Tajanlangit’s abdomen near the waistline, exiting in his buttock.
The gunman fled on a mountain bike. Homicide section investigators said Bulldog harboring a grudge against the victim.
Tajanlangit reportedly confronted the suspect last week and asked him not to rob his friends as they are all neighbors.
About two hours later, another shooting occurred on Noli Me Tangere corner El Filibusterismo Sts. in Barangay Ermita.
The victim was identified as Victor G. Alfeche, 48, a cargo truck driver of Visayan Corn Mill.
Alfeche, who was driving the truck, was about to enter the company’s warehouse when an unidentified man wearing a white T-shirt and jean shorts shot him.
The first shot hit Alfeche’s left elbow and the slug embedded in the right side of his body.
He tried to duck but another shot hit him in the buttock.
The gunman fled by boarding a passenger utility jeepney bound for Alumnus, Basak.
Alfeche was taken by his co-driver Jesus Cañeba to Cebu City Medical Center for treatment.
Police are still investigating the motive of the attack. (MEA/JST)
