A MAN and his two-year-old son were shot while riding a motorcycle, resulting in injuries.
The accident happened at around 7:20 p.m. on Monday, February 26, 2024, near the Carmelite church in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
The victim was identified as Smith Sayco of Holy Name Street of the said barangay.
He sustained several gunshot wounds to the body.
His son was also hurt after falling off the motorcycle.
They were brought to the Cebu City Medical Center, but the younger Sayco was later transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.
According to Police Major Romeo Caacoy Jr., the chief of the Mabolo Police Station, they have already identified the gunman, who is also a drug personality in Mabolo and now the subject of their manhunt operation.
Caacoy said that based on their investigation, the victim and his son attended a wake for his wife, who had passed away inside the Cebu City Jail, when they left after receiving a text message on his cell phone indicating they were going to see each other.
However, when Sayco arrived in their agreed meeting place, the assailants fired at them and fled on the motorcycle.
As a result, the victim’s motorcycle crashed.
The PNP Forensic Unit recovered five empty bullet shells from the crime scene, and these will be subjected to a ballistic analysis.
The police hinted at drugs as the cause of the tragedy because Sayco had previously served time in jail for illegal drugs.
"Base sa intel report nga among nakuha nga naa ni siyay ka contact sa cellphone nya mag abot kuno sila sa lugar sa insidente, mao nato nahitabo na ang pagpamusil," Caacoy said.
(Based on the intel report that we got, he received a text on his cellphone from someone who said they would meet each other at the scene where the incident took place).
Caacoy stated that they will look through the victim's cellphone to see if they could get any information regarding the suspect. (AYB, TPT)