New witness of Oct. 4 drive-by shooting helps investigators

Investigators of the drive-by shooting last October 4 have gained ground yesterday when another witness came to the City Police Homicide Section to give his accounts of the incident through his affidavit.

Homicide chief Mario Monilar said that so far they already have the affidavits of three witnesses and of two survivors whose testimonies, along with an artist’s sketch of the perpetrator, have helped put the police closer to the identity of the gunman.

The new witness, Monila said, is a 20-year-old tailor of a shop along V. Gullas Street who said that he was outside the tailoring shop, sitting with two friends, when the shooting and killing took place.

His testimony stated that, while sitting outside the shop, he saw two men on a dark blue motorcycle that was running opposite the one-way direction of V. Gullas Street. When the two reached near the corner of Shamrock, they made a U-turn and passed by the place again where the witness was.

The witness said that one of his friends even called “hoy bai” to the backrider of the motorcycle but the latter did not respond. Then about 15 meters away, the witness saw the backrider draw a gun from his waist and fired several shots to the teenagers who were standing by the roadside.

A few meters more ahead, the backrider shot Lawrence Morados, who was on a motorcycle at the time. When Morados raised his hands in an apparent attempt to ask for help, the witness said it was then that he shouted for assistance.

Last October 18, the witness said he went to the Police Homicide where he was able to confirm, from artist’s sketches of suspects, how the motorcycle backrider looked like.

Monilar said they already had the statement of another witness who claimed to have recognized the gunman. This witness was a companion of Makho Buenconsejo, one of those wounded during the shooting.

Homicide investigators added that they have been looking for a teenaged boy who has told them earlier of his intention to become a witness also. This boy, who was a member of a gang, could be deemed a credible witness, said Monilar.

Monilar said this teenager was the original target of a gang in the September 21 shooting in barangay Pari-an where the boy’s companion, 37-year-old Eugene Presbitero, was killed instead and their three other companions wounded.

After the October 4 shooting, this boy had informed the police that he knew the gunman was the same man who perpetrated the September 21 shooting.

Investigators wanted to get this witness who could be the key to the resolution of the case. They said that the cartridges found from the two crime scenes have matched to mean that these could come from one firearm of the same gunman.

The boy’s testimony would confirm the identity of the gunman and build a strong case against the latter to cause his arrest and the filing of a case against him, said the police.

Monilar also said he would check with the leaders of Tau Gamma about reports that the October 4 drive-by shooting took place the day after the group celebrated its 39th anniversary.

Monilar further urged the public to provide whatever information they have in connection with the shooting. He said the gunman is a fraternity member who has been involved in murder and homicide cases in the city and who has a P300,000 reward money for his arrest. — Flor Z. Perolina/RAE