2 students stabbed, one more shot

Three students were hurt in separate stabbing and shooting incidents last Wednesday afternoon and in the evening.

The first incident happened at the corner of C. Padilla and Abella streets in barangay San Nicolas near the Gothong National High School where two fourth year high school students were stabbed by alleged toughies in the area for refusing to give them money.

Police identified the victim as Michael Boro, 22, a resident of sitio Nazareth, barangay Buhisan and Jay Bryan Barera, 21, a resident of barangay Suba, both students of the said school.

The victims told homicide investigators that a certain Rafael Abella, 25, accompanied by two unidentified men suddenly attacked them with a knife while they are on their way to a dance practice in the San Nicolas Parish Church.

The assailants reportedly waylaid them and started mauling them, then one of the suspects reportedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Boro in the back then went after Barera.

Barera told the policemen he grabbed the knife of a nearby tempura vendor to defend himself from the assailants but one of them still managed to stab him.

The victims were rushed to Cebu City Medical Center for treatment while the assailants hurriedly left the place.

Th e victims told the police that last Tuesday the suspects approached them and allegedly tried to extort money from them but they refused to give in to the demands and the toughies left.

Three hours after this incident, another student was shot outside a video karaoke bar at the corner of Don Jose Avila and Don Mariano Cui streets in barangay Capitol Site.

Geofrey Bacalso, 21, a third year student taking up Political Science in one of the universities in the city and a resident of Tabunok, Talisay City, landed in a private hospital after he was shot by a group of youths.

The victim identified the assailants as Jake Nogay, Erald Mendoza who were accompanied by another unidentified man.

The victim alleged that he was with his drinking with his friends Salmiro Millard, Jona Malabanan, Geno Felipe and Hezron Boyle Cabonila inside the bar where the suspects were also drinking when all of sudden they got engaged in a heated argument over personal matters.

The suspects reportedly went outside and signaled the other group to follow them so they can settle their differences, once they were outside the three assailants suddenly started punching him prompting him to retaliate.

The victim said he did not notice one of the assailants behind him pull out a gun. The assailant shot him in the back before they all fled while the victim was rushed to the hospital.

Police have yet to determine if the incidents were fraternity-related, an occurrence common among students in the city. - Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP