Two men gunned down

CEBU, Philippines - Two men were gunned down by unidentified assailants in separate areas in Cebu yesterday.

The first incident happened at 1 a.m. in Barangay Lapay, Argao town.

The victim, Allan Alberca, 53, a taxi driver, was playing mahjong with his neighbors in sitio Polo when a man whose face was covered with a cloth, appeared and shot him four times.

Alberca was hit three times and died on the spot.

Police recovered four empty shells and a deformed slug of a caliber .45 pistol from the crime scene.

Police are eyeing revenge as possible motive. Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, chief of the Argao Police, said someone also tried to shoot Alberca last year while the latter was walking home, but the attempt did not prosper.

Meanwhile, the other incident happened several hours later at 7 a.m. in Bogo City.

The victim, Vicente Soronio, 30, has just been released from jail when he was shot. He had just arrived at his house in Barangay La Purisima Concepcion after driving a motorcycle when two men on board another motorcycle arrived and shot the victim thrice.

The unidentified assailants then sped off towards Barangay Cogon.

Soronio was rushed to the Cebu Provincial Hospital in the city, but was declared dead on arrival.

SPO 4 Rolando Torquido of  Bogo City Police Station said they are still determining the motive behind the shooting.

Soronio, Torquido said, was behind bars for a year for possession of  illegal  drugs. –/JMO (FREEMAN)