Man dead, another hurt in shooting

CEBU, Philippines - A man was killed instantly after he and his companions were shot along the road in sitio Basbas, barangay Pagsabungan, Mandaue City, last Thursday.

Bjorn Salan, 28, of Canduman Housing in barangay Canduman, Mandaue City, died after he was shot several times by a lone assailant.

The fatality’s wounded companion Eric Gerundio, 25, also of barangay Canduman, who was later when interviewed at the Mandaue City Hospital were he was confine for a gunshot wound in the right bicep, said before the incident he was picked up by Salan as the latter wanted him to accompany him in collecting money somewhere in barangay Pagsabungan.

They got on a motorcycle driven by a man introduced to Gerundio only as a certain “Bao”.

Gerundio said that while they were already traveling he noticed the L3OO van tailing them and upon reaching sitio Basbas, Bao stopped and told them to wait for him for a while.

Just as Bao left, the assailant appeared and shot them several times, Gerundio said that although he was shot he was still able to run for his safety in the bushes nearby.

He only learned that Salan was already dead from SPO1 Kerwin Bejer, one of the responding policemen who arrived at the crime scene.

Police later learned that Bao’s real name was Cresenciano Heraña, a resident of barangay Tawason. He was not at his house when police came looking.

As of the moment, investigators have yet to establish the motive of the incident. 

PO1 Marino Lofranco of the Homicide Section of the Mandaue City Police Office said that during the investigation a witness who is a resident of the place told them that before the incident he noticed two persons standing along the sidewalk several meters away from him.

After the motorcycle boarded by the victims passed by they heard several gunshots and he saw Salan already lying dead in the middle of the road with several gunshot wounds.

The assailant then boarded a white L300 van that sped away towards the interior portion of barangay Pagsabungan while his accomplice escaped in the same direction onboard a red Honda XRM motorcycle. — Flor Z.Perolina/BRP (THE FREEMAN)