WHAT was meant to be a day of celebration turned into a bloody Christmas in Cebu as two separate shooting incidents left three men dead, including two brothers in Cebu City and an ex-convict in the mountain barangay of Sibonga.
Two half-brothers were gunned down inside their own home in Sitio Buwaran, Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City at 7:58 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.
The victims, identified as Melber Alicaba, 40, and his younger brother Romel Fernandez, 36, were rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) by emergency personnel but were declared dead on arrival.
According to the investigation by the Sawang Calero police, the suspect, Aljun “Kulot” Espina, 56, an ex-convict, entered the victims’ residence accompanied by his nephew. Espina allegedly opened fire on the brothers using a .45 pistol before fleeing the scene.
The arrest and motive
Acting on a tip from a witness, police launched a manhunt and apprehended Espina four hours later at his brother’s house in Barangay Ermita. The murder weapon was recovered during the arrest.
Espina confessed to the crime, citing a 15-year-old grudge. He claimed that one of the brothers had attempted to shoot his sibling years ago. Espina, who was previously incarcerated at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) for drug charges, had reportedly vowed to kill the brothers upon his release. He was released from prison just last month, in November.
“My siblings were still small when that fight happened; he shot my brother and it’s a good thing he didn’t die. This is just revenge,” Espina said in Cebuano.
Police are still hunting for Espina’s nephew, who served as a lookout. Cebu City Police Office Director Col. George Ylanan commended the Sawang Calero station for the quick arrest, noting that while some isolated incidents are difficult to prevent, the police are 100 percent committed to solving them.
Sibonga death
In a separate incident in southern Cebu, another ex-convict was found dead in the mountain village of Barangay Guimbangco-an, Sibonga, on Christmas evening.
The victim was identified as John Nino Mondido, a resident of Barangay Bahay, Sibonga. He had a prior criminal record for violating Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act).
A local resident gathering fodder for goats discovered Mondido’s body around 5 p.m. Police arrived at the scene past 7 p.m. and found the victim slumped on the ground with a gunshot wound near his right ear.
Investigators from the Scene of the Crime Operation recovered a single cartridge case from an unidentified firearm at the scene. While the motive and the identity of the perpetrator remain unknown, authorities have advised the family to allow an autopsy to help in the ongoing investigation. / AYB, JDG