Two porters shot, injured while playing cards on the road

CEBU, Philippines - The recent reactivation of the Task Force Motorsiklo has failed to deter two motorcycle-riding men from shooting two people in Barangay Sto. Niño Wednesday night.

The victims were identified as Tomas Sanchez, 41, of Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita and Vincent Cabilida, also of Ermita. Both are porters.

Investigation showed that the victims were playing card games along the road in corners Jakosalem and MC Briones Sts. when an armed person riding on a motorcycle stopped before them.

The back rider alighted and with no apparent reason shot the victims, hitting Sanchez on his chest and Cabilida on the different parts of his body.

The perpetrators sped off towards the Adwana port area while both victims were rushed by responding SRP mobile police to the Cebu City Medical Center.

PO2 Jodan Batucan said Ronald Turla, a Barangay Intelligence Network member, timely spotted Rudito Branzuela alias Gamul, 19, about 100 meters away from the crime scene few minutes after the shooting happened.

Turla recovered a caliber .45 with live ammunition from Branzuela who was identified by a witness as the one who shot dead a trisikad driver identified as “Cholo” some time last week.

Batucan said Branzuela will be subjected to a paraffin test while the firearm will be subjected to a ballistic test to determine if he was involved in last Wednesday’s shooting incident.

The victims, who are now recuperating, could not say if it was Branzuela who shot them. Police are still determining the motive of the incident.

Six empty shells of .45 caliber, two pieces of fragments, an undetermined slug and two deformed slugs were recovered from the crime scene.

The Police Regional Office 7 will be reactivating Task Force Motorsiklo to address the resumption of crimes perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects in the region. (THE FREEMAN)