Two men shot by ‘robbers’; land in hospital

CEBU, Philippines - Two men landed in a hospital after they were shot by two suspected robbers in Barangay Tejero last Thursday night.

Dexter Calatero, 26, a resident of Mantuyong, Mandaue City sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of his body  while Hilario Ricalde, 22, a resident of  Barangay Luz, Cebu City is in critical condition.

The shooting incident, which happened  about  7:30 p.m., was responded to and investigated by PO1 Merlo Laborte and PO3 Geoffrey Gutual.

PO3 Geoffrey Gutual said the victims were at the compound of  Elimae Merchandising in Villagonzalo 2, Barangay Tejero when they sensed a commotion outside and learned about a botched jeepney robbery.

When they went out to check, they saw some bystanders chasing the suspects towards their direction. When the suspects were near them, one of the men pulled out an improvised shotgun known locally as “pugakhang” and shot the victims.

A “pugakhang” is a homemade shotgun or improvised toy shotgun made out of a cylindrical metal or any similar hollow tube, which can be loaded with a maximum of 12 bullets and has the impact or blast the same of a shotgun.

The suspects fled right after and eluded arrest from responding policemen of the Waterfront Police Station.

Gutual said the suspects might have thought that the victims were with the bystanders chasing them. Investigation is ongoing to identify the suspects.

Prior to the shooting, the suspects reportedly tried to rob passengers of a jeepney but the plan was botched when some of the passengers reportedly became suspicious of the suspects’ presence. Gutual said the suspects might have gone nervous and jumped off  the jeepney. (BANAT NEWS)