Taxi driver injured in shooting

CEBU, Philippines - A 49-year-old taxi driver is in critical condition after two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him in the face at Barangay Quiot yesterday morning.

Edigardo Artajo, resident of Sitio Bogo, Quiot, sustained a single gunshot wound in the left face. The victim was on his way to the garage of Ken Taxi in Lawaan, Talisay City at 7:00 a.m. yesterday to turn over his unit to his reliever when the shooting happened.

In fact, his reliever, Cosminiano Abendan, 24, witnessed the incident because the victim picked him up on his way to the garage.

Abendan said he had just sat on the front seat and were already on their way to Talisay passing through Sabellano St. when the two unidentified assailants shot Artajo from the left side.

According to Abendan, they slowed down a bit because of the traffic jam ahead giving the gunmen the opportunity to carry out their plan against the victim. Abendan took over the wheel and brought Artajo to the Cebu City Medical Center. He was later transferred to the Chong Hua Hospital.

The police recovered an empty shell of a caliber .45 pistol and a slug of the same caliber, including the cab, from the crime scene.

Police Officer 2 Judan Batucan of the homicide section said they are eyeing personal grudge as motive behind the incident. According to Batucan, they tried to ask the victim’s live-in-partner about her husband but the woman allegedly got mad.

“Wa na mi natiwas og storya kay nasuko man siya. Wa na daw labot iyang bana,” Batucan said. Artajo, a widow, is living with a married woman for two years now.

Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, director of the Cebu City Police Office, ordered a thorough investigation of the incident.

“Pa-imbestigaran og maayo kay daghan ra bang apektado ani kay daghan ra bang taxi driver diri sa ato na nanginabuhi. Kinahanglan jud nato klaruhon, tagaan sila and the public ug assurance na safe sila diri sa ilang panginabuhi,” Buenafe said.   - (THE FREEMAN)