Man killed, two hurt in shooting near hospital

CEBU, Philippines - A man was gunned down near the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) visitor’s entrance at B. Rodriguez Street, Cebu City yesterday morning.

The attack also injured two others who were standing at the entrance during the shooting.

Loe “Lupin” Mabitad, 26, of Sitio Kawayan, Sambag 2, succumbed to two gunshot wounds in the head and chest after an unknown gunman shot him at around 8 a.m. while Virgilio Noval, 64, a retired Philippine National Police colonel from Talisay City and Angelina Tapdasan, 60, of Carcar City, were also hit. 

Sr. Insp. Jul Muhammad Jamiri, homicide chief, told The FREEMAN they are eyeing the possibility that Mabitad was killed because of his previous criminal records for theft, robbery, drugs, and among others.

Jamiri said Mabitad was a nephew of Cresistomo ‘Tata Negro’ Llaguno, an alleged drug lord who was gunned down in 2010. Mabitad was apprehended by the Theft and Robbery Section and the Police Station 2 in Fuente several times in the past years for various crimes, he said.

Witness said Mabitad, who acts as sales agent for a nearby pharmacy, was reportedly standing in front of the entrance when an undefined gunman onboard a red motorcycle drove pass him and fired.

After four gunshots, Mabitad, Noval and Tapdasan fell on the ground bloodied while the gunman sped off toward Chong Hua Hospital. Noval and Tapdasan were about to enter the hospital for personal reasons when the shooting happened. 

Three shells from a cal. 45 pistol were recovered from the crime scene.

Security guard Ronel Quirez and Felix Asoy, who were only a few feet away from the victims, rushed the victim inside the VSSMC where Mabitad was declared dead.

Noval, who is the former deputy for Group Director of the Regional Public Safety Battalion, sustained a lone gunshot wound on his stomach which went through his upper back, while Tapdasan was hit on her right ankle. Both are already out of harm’s way. — (FREEMAN)