With the appearance of a credible witness, the police expect to strengthen their case against a fraternity member blamed for recent drive-by shootings in Cebu City.
Homicide chief Mario Monilar yesterday said that a 16-year-old, who is a member of a gang, went to their office last Friday afternoon and executed an affidavit signed by him and his father who was also a victim of the September 21 shooting along Sanciangko Street in barangay Parian.
Aside from the appearance of the witness, police said ballistic evidence gathered also confirms that the shooting last September 21 and the September 29 shooting in barangay Parian that killed a certain Armand Panit were done with the same gun and were most likely committed by the same shooter.
The police have yet to determine if the same shooter was also responsible for the October 4 drive-by shootings that killed Stephen Varquez, Laurence Morados and William Aznar.
The minor said that last Sept 21, he was with his father and three other neighbors by the side of the road when he saw two men on a blue Kawasaki Aura motorcycle driving in a zigzag manner.
When it came nearer, the man riding pillion shot at him but missed and hit instead his father and two of their neighbors, one of whom was killed.
The perpetrators then sped towards the Ramos public market.
To avoid danger his relatives then brought him to the province to hide. It was only last Friday when he came back and recognized the shooter from a cartographic sketch released by the police in relation to the October 4 drive-by shooting.
He said the shooter was a “hitman” of a fraternity.
Police also said they now know the plate number of the motorcycle used during the shooting last October 4, and are coordinating with the Land Transportation Office to trace the owner’s whereabouts.
The Homicide Section police will also be coordinating with the Consolacion police as they suspect that same person was also involved in a recent shooting in that town. — Flor Z. Perolina/BRP