CEBU, Philippines - The brother and the nephew of barangay chairman Eduardo “Boloy” Lauron are the latest victims of violence in barangay Carreta.
Thirty-six-year-old Natalio “Natnat” Lauron, brother of Eduardo, sustained a gunshot wound on his abdomen while forty-five-year-old Romulo Ligan, Eduardo’s nephew, was hit in the left shoulder. The other two men who are involved, identified as Dindo Ancero, 30, of Bogo and Ronnie Lape, 30, of Toledo City, also sustained wounds.
According to police investigator Geoffrey Gutual of the Cebu City Police Office-Homicide Section, Ancero told them that he arrived in the said place onboard a motorcycle looking for spare parts. He dropped by a variety store to buy load credits for his mobile phone.
It happened that Ligan was there who greeted Ancero. It was learned that the two long knew each other as they were both inmates of the city jail facility in the past. As they were chatting, Lape arrived and without provocation allegedly shot Ancero with the use of an improvised shotgun. Ligan was hit in the process.
Ancero was hit in his chest but he was reportedly able to fire back at Lape twice, hitting the latter in the right hand and the left portion of the body.
PO3 Gutual confirmed that Ancero and Lape were imprisoned for separate robbery cases. Police officers are still conducting an investigation as to why Ancero possessed a .45 caliber pistol that has a license and permit to carry.
As for the real motive of the incident, Gutual said he cannot give yet any comment to the media because they still have to go back to the crime scene to confirm reports that Lape is allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Village chief Lauron confirmed that his brother was hit by a stray bullet. Natalio was about to leave the area onboard his motorcycle when he heard the bursts of gunfire.
Jun Mabuti, chairman of the justice committee of barangay Carreta, said though that despite the tainted image of Carreta, which is lately observed to have been the scene for a series of shooting incidents involving gangsters, the latest incident may have something to do with a previous conflict between the two former inmates when they were still inside the jail facility and not because of gang rivalries.
He also said that they are not remiss in their duties as barangay officials as they have upheld various campaigns against gangs and the illegal drug trade.
“Dili lang gyod ni malikayan nga naa gihapo’y mamembro sa gang kay tungod sa kadaghang urban poor nga namuyo sa among dapit. Ug ang usa sab mao ang lisod pugngan nga drogas,” Mabuti said. — Christopher Gabriel C. Bonjoc/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)