Three men cheat death

CEBu, Philippines - Three men who were on their way to work on board a multicab were ambushed yesterday morning near their home in Mansueto Subdivision, barangay Bulacao, Talisay City.

Joselito “Toto” Tapic, 29, who was seated in the back of the pick-up type cab sustained a gunshot wound in his butt, while fellow passenger Jimmly Mindajao, 48, who was seated beside the driver, was able to escape the rain of bullets.

Driver Jose Jerry Leonardo, 43, however, was also hit on the left part of his body.

Leonardo, who was a former driver of the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG) in Cebu City and a resident of Holy Child subdivision seated adjacent to Mansueto, was detained by the city police after he could not show a permit to carry his .45 caliber pistol, which was recovered from him shortly after the incident.

Mindajao, a retired lieutenant of the Philippine Army, also reportedly fired back at the alleged suspect, who was identified as Gilbert “Kagid” Cabigas, but no firearm was found from him.

Mindajao, a neighbor of Leonardo and chief security of Chevron Security and Investigation Agency, was also hitching a ride with Leonardo.

Based on the initial investigation of the city police, Leonardo was on his way to work driving his multicab (YHV-257), with Mindajao on the passenger side and Tapic at the back, when suddenly they were allegedly fired upon near the house of former City Councilor Emil Go.

Alarmed residents reported the incident to the city police.

Police recovered 12 empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol and another one from a 9mm caliber pistol, and two slugs of a .45 caliber pistol.

Investigator PO3 Mikie Espina said the incident could be traced to the reported rift between Tapic and Cabigas.

Cabigas as of press time was still at large, while the injured Tapic was brought to the government-run Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for treatment. – Liv G. Campo