Man, 18, shot and injured in gang war at Guadalupe

A rumble between two gangs broke out the other night at sitio Guadalajara in barangay Guadalupe, leaving an 18-year-old man wounded.

Responding homicide policemen, led by SPO3 Alex Dacua, said Christopher Tinapay, a resident of sitio Tugasan of the same barangay, was shot in the chest and the right side of his body.

Tinapay was taken to a private hospital and the police could not yet confirm if he was a member of any of the gangs in the rumble.

The policemen arrested Florido Saban, 22, a resident of Guadaville of the same barangay, who admitted that he was once a member of a fraternity but had already gone inactive.

The other gang members escaped after the shooting including the 17-year-old boy who allegedly shot Tinapay. Saban named some of them, however, one of who was known only as Timoy "alias Chao."

Homicide investigator PO2 Henry Orbiso said Saban alleged that it was the group of Tinapay that started the melee.

Saban narrated that he was about to go to an Internet café when Tinapay's group suddenly confronted and mauled him. He said he ran away to ask for help from his group members and they went to the area to strike back at Tinapay's group.

The two gangs came face to face and they initially got into a verbal tussle before they engaged into a fistfight.

At this time, the 17-year-old boy of Saban's gang reportedly drew a handgun and fired at the other gang. Seeing Tinapay hit and wounded already, all the others involved in the rumble just scampered away.

Cebu City Police Office director, Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, earlier said that these gang wars have been a problem to the police in maintaining peace and order in the city.

What makes the matter worse is that many members of these gangs are juveniles and, thus, have special protection from the law, he said.

Comendador said he now has plans to stop this violence among gangs from happening again. Police stations might be tasked to disperse any suspicious gathering of adolescents at the streets late in the evening, he said.

Police visibility and patrols in schools and in places frequented by these gangs would be carried out also to stop a violence before it happens, said Comendador.

Three days ago, Comendador was able to witness an actual running gunbattle between members of Crips and Bloods gangs, on M.J.Cuenco Avenue in barangay Lorega-San Miguel.

No one was hurt but one of those involved was arrested and later found in possession of an unlicensed gun. - Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE