3 men rob, shoot cab driver dead

CEBU, Philippines - Three unidentified men allegedly robbed and killed a taxi driver early morning yesterday in sitio Colo, barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.

Carlito Singson, believed to be in his mid-50s, driver of Emerson Taxi, was found already lifeless while sitting in the driver’s seat.

He sustained a single gunshot wound to the right arm with the bullet exiting through his body that caused his instantaneous death. The right portion of the front seat’s windshield was also damaged by an undetermined firearm.

Singson’s wallet, undetermined amount of earnings and his cell phone are nowhere to be found.

Reports said that the victim, who was also a lay minister in one of the parishes in Talisay City, has been driving for Emerson taxi for 15 years now.

SPO3 Rex Ybanez , homicide investigator, said the residents in the area heard three gunshots coming from the taxi unit but they failed to identify who fired them.

“Among nadunggan mao ra gyud ang tulo ka buto unya dunay nagdinaganay sa ngitngit nga bahin paingon sa St. Michael’s village,” said one of the residents.

Ybanez said their problem now is identity of the culprits because nobody has witnessed the crime. Homicide investigators are also trying to verify reports that the robbers boarded in JY square in Lahug, Cebu City.

In a separate incident, a taxi driver was arrested after his woman passenger accused him of attempted rape.

Francisco Baringue, taxi driver of Richielda Taxi and a resident of San Fernando, Cebu, was picked up by the elements of the Mobile Patrol Division, which turned him over to Talamban Police Station for detention.

The victim, a 26-year-old native of Cadiz City, Negros Oriental and temporarily residing in Sunny Hills, Talamban, complained to Talamban police that Baringue allegedly lowered his pants and tried to molest her.

“Naandan man gyud nako nga dili ko mag-button sa akong pants kay dako man ang akong tiyan. Imposible man kaayo nga ako siyang binuangan, siguro nasuko na siya kay dako kuno ang iyang naplite,” Baringue said denying the accusations against him. — Ramil V. Ayuman/WAB   (THE FREEMAN)