Taxi operator shot dead in Lahug

CEBU, Philippines - A taxi operator was found dead with a gunshot wound in the head inside his house at a subdivision in Barangay Lahug yesterday dawn.

Stephen Visitacion, 34, allegedly slept alone in the masters’ bedroom of their house at BC Homes Subdivision the other night because he did not want to be disturbed. His wife, Evelyn, 40, told the police that the victim requested her and their six-year-old son to sleep in the other room because he wanted to have a complete rest that night.

Evelyn said that before they went to sleep, her husband was visited by his friend whom she identified as a certain Joel. After Joel left at around 8:30 p.m. the victim went to sleep in the masters’ bedroom while Evelyn and their son occupied the other room of the house.

According to Evelyn, she woke up at 4:30 a.m. as she was used to it. She immediately went to their room supposedly to change her dress but found her husband lying on the bed already bathed with blood.

Evelyn said their main door was closed but was not locked while their gate was ajar. She did not however find any sign of forced entry.

 Under the victim’s bed, the police recovered drug paraphernalia and repacking instruments as well as nine bullets of different calibers. A cellular phone was also recovered.

Homicide Section chief Jul Mohammad Jamiri said they have invited two people for investigation including the last visitor of the victim. The police noted some inconsistencies in the statement of the people they have invited but they could not yet consider them as suspects.

 “Inconsistent ilang mga statements during the interrogation. Nag-conduct pa ta og follow-up ani kay di pa ta makatumbok nila as suspects (They have conflicting statements during the interrogation but we cannot consider them suspects yet because we are still conducting follow- ups),” Jamiri said.

The incident was first reported as a suicide alarm.

Meanwhile, an alleged drug user was shot dead by his companion on their way to a drug session shortly before midnight of Tuesday at Barangay Ablayan, Dalaguete.

Julbert Ilhig, 32, of Barangay Mantalongon, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body. Silvano Cartilla, who was with the group when the shooting happened, said the gunman was the driver of the motorcycle they were riding on their way to Barangay Balaas supposedly to sniff shabu.

Cartilla however did not know the name of the assailant because it was only the victim who knew him.

PO3 Christopher Requina said that the witness told the police that it was the gunman who wanted them to go to Balaas.

On their way to Balaas, they stopped at Barangay Ablayan to answer the call of nature. However, the gunman shot the victim several times. Cartilla who was urinating beside Ilhig said he jumped into a ravine for safety.

Police investigators found two empty shells of caliber .45 at the crime scene. The police have yet to determine the motive in the killing.     - THE FREEMAN