2 dead, 1 hurt in shooting

CEBU, Philippines – Two died and one was wounded in a shooting incident in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City yesterday morning.

Lando Medalle, 27, and Francis Pangatoan, 22, were declared dead on arrival at Cebu City Medical Center after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to their bodies.

Meanwhile, Vivencio “Jun-jun” Baldesamo, 44, sustained injuries to his back, neck, leg and shoulder and is now confined at Chong Hua Hospital.

Homicide investigators suspect that drugs had something to do with the shooting, considering that the survivor was allegedly a drug personality. Baldesamo was previously arrested for drug charges and has since been out on bail.

PO3 Wetzel Berry said that while Baldesamo, Medalle and Pangatoan were sitting on a bench outside Baldesamo’s house, two armed men arrived at around 7 a.m.

One assailant was reportedly wearing a white shirt while the other one was wearing a red one.

Berry added that they managed to get statements from Baldesamo’s neighbors who said that the perpetrators just walked away casually after the incident despite the area being crowded.

“Yano ra kaayo namusil og nigawas sa area,” Berry said.

Police recovered empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol from the crime scene.

Yesterday’s incident was the third attempt on Baldesamo’s life. Last year, he was ambushed along P. del Rosario Street in Cebu City while he was riding his car. He was lucky to survive but his companions died.

Mark Dave Maramba, Operations chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7, said they enforced a search warrant against Baldesamo last month. They recovered drugs during the raid but Baldesamo eluded arrest.  – /JMO (FREEMAN)