Man shot dead Friday may be gun-for-hire

CEBU, Philippines - Police are suspecting that the man who fell off the motorcycle he was riding after he was shot in Barangay Carreta last Friday was a member of a local gun-for-hire group.

The police also said that the man, identified as Alfredo Beroja, 32, was shot by a policeman who was on covert operation and not by an ordinary bystander as earlier reported.

The identified gunman, PO2 Lester Miñoza of the Mobile Patrol Group, was reportedly monitoring the area after police seized a KG-9 rifle from a certain Erwin Pedro, reportedly an acquaintance of Beroja, the night before.

Pedro had gone to the place to visit his mother, but was mocked by several bystanders when his motorcycle fell on its side. This irked him and prompted him to pull out his KG-9 rifle. However, the bystanders were quick to pull the gun from him before he could open fire.

The next day, Beroja and his cohorts went to the barangay and opened fire at some bystanders. Police said the attack could have been a form of retaliation, especially against the police for apprehending Pedro.

“Posible nga resbak to ang ilang na buhat. Kay murag kauban man to nila ang nakuhaan og KG-9,” said Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the intelligence branch of the Cebu City Police Office.

At that time of the shooting last Friday, Beroja was wearing a bonnet, which made the police surmise that he and his companions might be members of a local gun-for-hire group.

Santander clarified, however, that investigation is ongoing to ascertain Beroja’s and his companions’ background.

Santander said they were able to identify Beroja after his wife, Maria Fe Balo, phoned him minutes after he was killed.

The police recovered four empty shells of a caliber 9mm pistol, a slug from an undetermined firearm, two silver earrings, a silver ring and the victims cellular phone. Beroja’s remains were brought to Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes. — (FREEMAN)