2 charged for shooting 2 men over basketball game

CEBU - Murder and frustrated murder charges were filed against three men before the Regional Trial Court yesterday for the shooting of two men in sitio Cabiawon, barangay Valencia, Carcar in October of last year.

Cousins Kenneth, Primitivo, and Emiliano Sato are facing charges of murder and frustrated murder filed against them by the mother of Joey Solon, the victim who died from a gunshot, and their other victim Juanito Moreno who survived from the incident.

Moreno, in his complaint, said that the argument stemmed from the results of a basketball game of which they won over the suspects.

He said that after the game, on their way home, they saw the three suspects on the road obviously waiting for them to pass by. The three suspects then waylaid them and shot them.

Before the incident happened, Moreno attested that he overheard Primitivo and Emiliano telling Kenneth “naa na sila”, referring to them. Afterwhich, Kenneth fired the gun.

Solon died from the shooting while Moreno survived. 

But according to the accused, they were not in the said place at the time of the incident.

Kenneth and Emiliano said that they remained at the basketball court even after the game as they were playing basketball with some kids.

Primitivo, on the other hand, said that he was in the house of a certain Benito Maning in sitio Verzaros, barangay Calidngan at the time of the incident and went straight home along with some friends.

He added that he was not part of the basketball team that lost in the tournament.

But Carcar City Prosecutor Richard Abangan elevated the case to the RTC after finding probable cause that the accused indeed committed the crime.

The positive identification of the complainants was “accorded with credence by Abangan, denying the defense of alibi”. —Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV   (THE FREEMAN)