Men kill storeowner in Balamban

MANILA, Philippines - A storeowner was shot to death by unidentified men who were drinking outside his sari-sari store at barangay Pondol, Balamban last Tuesday evening.

That same night, two men were also injured after they were stabbed by a laborer who went wild at about 10:30 at barangay Poblacion, Argao.

In the Balamban incident, Antonio Madraga, 37, died from the gunshot wounds in his back and left leg.

He was taken to the Balamban District Hospital by his wife and was transferred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), where he died.

Police Officer 2 Cesar Climaco of the Balamban Police Station disclosed that the victim and his wife were staying inside their store, which is part of their house, when a motorcycle with two men on board arrived.

The men ordered bottles of beer and had some drinks while Madraga waited for them to finish.

Climaco said that right after the men finished their beer, they stood up and shot Madraga thrice before they hurriedly left.

Madraga’s wife ran inside the store when she heard the bursts of gunfire. She saw her husband lying on the floor bloodied.

Climaco said they recovered three empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol.

Madraga’s wife did not recognize the men although they did not cover their faces.

“Sa kakalit sa hitabo wa na kabantay ang asawa sa mga suspects labi na nga uwan-uwan unya medyo ngitngit ang lugar,” Climaco said. (It happened so fast, it was raining hard and the area was dark.)

The Balamban police is still making moves to identify and arrest the assailants.

Meanwhile in Argao, Edgardo Caren, 46, a resident of barangay Casay, Dalaguete and Junrel Cegue, 26, a native of Balamban but living in barangay Casay, sustained wounds after they were attacked by Pablo Silva Jr., 30, a native of La Libertad, Negros Oriental.

Caren and Cegue were taken to the Isidro Quintanar Memorial Hospital but were later transferred to the South General Hospital in Naga by responding personnel of the Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN).

Silva was arrested and detained at the Argao police stockade.

He claimed that he was eating when he overheard Cegue and Caren saying, “Karon na lang inig pamauli,” referring to him. (Wait until we head home.)

Upon hearing these words, Silva picked the 10-inche long stainless steel knife and went wild, yelling while stabbing Caren in the upper right arm.

Cegue tried to grab the knife from Silva but he was also stabbed in his upper right arm.

The BIN personnel who were around tried to intervene, but Silva grabbed his sister, who was also a worker, and hid inside the comfort room.

The BIN personnel managed to convince Silva to come out. He was arrested and taken to the police station.

Police Officer 1 Bernard Banogon said the suspect told them he did it to defend himself.

A double frustrated murder will be filed against the suspect today at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. — (FREEMAN)