Shooting 'premeditated' man, 27, repeatedly shot by cousin in Guadalupe

CEBU, Philippines – A 27-year-old man was seriously wounded after he was shot several times by his cousin, Friday morning in Sitio Kana-as, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.

Victim Arnel Gimena, a truck boy and a stay-in worker of Intercity Trucking Services in Barangay Carreta, is currently being treated at the hospital after suffering at least three gunshot wounds to the body.

The suspect, Richard Gimena, allegedly set him up for his plan to kill him. The cousins are both natives of Ronda, Cebu.

Prior to the incident, the cousins have agreed to meet somewhere in the city, said Senior Police Officer 2 Wetzel Berry of the Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office, who has talked with the victim.

Richard then allegedly invited Arnel to come over to his house in Sitio Kana-as in Barangay Guadalupe for them to have a drink.

After the drinking session, Arnel then bid goodbye and gestured to go home, but before leaving, Richard asked him to accompany him outside. However, when they arrived at a riverside, Richard allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Arnel several times.

"Mingaw g'yud didto dapita kay kasapaan pud lagi. Giingnan ra siya nga 'ari usa ta agi' unya paglingi kuno niya og balik, mao na 'to nga gipusil na siya sa iyang ig-agaw," said Berry, adding that the suspect might have planned everything beforehand.

Arnel was hit in the arm and chest.

Despite being wounded, he managed to run towards Kalunasan barangay hall and asked help from the barangay tanods. He was rushed to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Berry said as of last night, they have not yet gone to the crime scene since Arnel had been brought to the hospital when they received the alarm, and when they got to talk to him, the victim allegedly forgot where Richard's house is located.

"Gipangutana namo asa, wala man siya kadumdom asa dapit ang balay sa iyang ig-agaw. Nakalimot man kuno siya," said Berry.

The police investigator further said they called up Richard's family in Ronda, but were told that the suspect has not been going to the town for many months already.

Berry said according to Arnel, Richard had been arrested once in Ronda after he allegedly shot someone, and that Richard suspected that it was Arnel who reported the incident to the police.

Follow-up operation is ongoing for the arrest of the suspect. —/NSA (FREEMAN)