2 dead in separate incidents

CEBU, Philippines - In less than an hour, two persons died and another was injured in separate shooting incidents in Danao City and in the town of Dumanjug last Sunday evening.

In Danao City, a father was shot dead by his son who sided with his mother who was allegedly harassed by the victim around 8:12p.m. in Barangay Cahumayan, Danao City.

Romeo Barbero, 50, maintenance worker of the Danao City Water Works Division, succumbed to a lone gunshot wound to the back portion of his body with the bullet exiting his right armpit which caused his immediate death.

Junmie Barbero, 28, son of the victim and an employee of the Shooters Arm Manufacturing located in Mandaue City, is now detained at the Danao City stockade pending the filing of a criminal case in court.

SPO1 Bryan Batiquin, homicide investigator, said Romeo was reportedly under the influence of liquor when he arrived home at around 7:50p.m. and allegedly scolded his wife for some unknown reason. Junmie saw the incident and tried to pacify Romeo which irked the victim.

Batiquin said Romeo faced Junmie which started their heated argument. Romeo then suddenly took a stick and struck Junmie once on the nape.

Junmie, who was armed with a .45 caliber pistol, retaliated and shot his father once.

When Junmie surrendered, the police failed to recover the unlicensed pistol allegedly used to commit the crime.

If nobody files a case against him, Junmie will be released today as his reglementary period ends.

“Sa akong tan-aw mura’g dili interesado ang inahan mukiha kay ang biktima daan nang manghagis kung mahubog mura’g nakasabot sad siya sa sitwasyon. (The mother seems uninterested to file charges because the victim has been known to cause trouble every time he gets drunk. She seems to understand the situation),” Batiquin said.

In another incident, a barangay tanod was shot dead by his friend’s enemy around 9:00 p.m. in Barangay Kanguha, Dumanjug.

Bobby De la Cerna, from Argao town, vented his revenge against Romulo Sardido, 31, instead of Sardido’s friend, Juvy Cababat, who was not around at that time.

 Sardido succumbed to a gunshot wound to his head with the bullet going through and hitting Melogen Cabase, 26, in the breast.

Sardido died on the spot while Cabase was rushed to the Barili District Hospital but later referred to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for further treatment.

De la Cerna eluded arrest.

SPO2 Florencio Clarion, of the Dumanjug Police Station, said Sardido was manning the basketball court area where a singing contest was held as one of the highlights of their fiesta celebration yesterday.

De la Cerna, who was reportedly an enemy of Cababat, expected that the latter would arrive that night but failed. Due to his anger, he shot Sardido instead.

“Napahimungtan ra gyud ni siya (Sardido), dili gani sila kaila. (He just took out his ire on Sardido. They don’t even know each other),” Clarion said in a phone interview. 

Clarion added that De la Cerna has a pending murder case in Argao and another criminal case in Negros province.

Police are still conducting a hot pursuit operation to arrest De la Cerna. (FREEMAN)