Man shot dead while gambling

A 60-year-old man was shot dead while playing cara y cruz, more commonly known as "hantak", inside an old rattan furniture shop in Binabag, Consolacion town, yesterday dawn, while two others landed in the hospital after a separate shooting incident in Sta. Fe town last Saturday.

Filomeno Pepito, an ambulant vendor, and a resident of East Binabag, Tayud, Consolacion town, was shot dead on the spot by an unidentified assailant.

Initial investigation conducted by the responding policemen SPO4 Felix Lapera and PO3s Nolberto Cejas and Alex Sialanan revealed that the victim was playing "hantak" inside the furniture shop owned by Ruben Yballe of West Binabag, Consolacion, when an unidentified assailant shot him at close range behind his head below the right ear.

The bullet exited at the left side of his head.

PO1 Julius Patag said that the assailant could have be a hantak player who lost to the victim during the course of the game.

The victim himself was armed with a homemade .22 cal. revolver with six live bullets that the police found tucked into the waistband of his pants.

In Sta. Fe, two teenagers were reportedly shot by a member of a gang while attending a fiesta celebration at barangay Ocoy of the town last Saturday dawn.

A 16-year-old resident of barangay Pooc, Sta. Fe, was shot in the left side of his chest. The bullet went clean through him to hit a 14-year-old resident of barangay Balidbid, Sar. Fe, who was hit in the leg.

The victims were rushed to the Bantayan District Hospital for treatment while responding Bantayan policemen PO3 Alejandro Negrido and PO2s Eleah Jumawan and Lary Illustrisimo conducted a hot pursuit operation against the assailant.

They later arrested Anastacio Capos, 28, and Ronron Umabad, 21, both of barangay Mojon; Roger Anciano, 20, of barangay Balidbid and Jhonrey Alojacin, 19, of sitio Magay, Sta. Fe.

The four were earlier seen drinking with the assailant and identified him as a certain Warren Pescante.

Jumawan said yesterday that the victims could have just been victims of thrill-seekering as they were only standing there when shot at. - Norvie S. Misa