Two men kill each other in 'duel'

CEBU, Philippines - Two men, one of whom is a former member of the military, died in what was believed to be a duel in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City dawn yesterday.

Responding policemen arrived at the crime scene with the two men– Ryan Villaver Cabuenas, 23, a resident of Barangay Lagtang and Jhasper Lopez, 33, a resident of Barangay Bulacao–already sprawled on the ground bathed in their own blood. Both had gunshot wounds on the chest.

Police recovered a slug of a still unidentified caliber of gun and a .357 caliber revolver near the body of Cabuenas.

The two were rushed to the Talisay District Hospital, but were declared dead on arrival.

PO3 Edwin Alvarado, duty desk officer of the Talisay Police, said Lopez happened to be among the passengers of a jeepney from Minglanilla that was robbed by six men last Sunday dawn. The next day, Lopez himself located one of the suspects, a certain Jared Garban, in Mansueto Subdivision in Barangay Bulacao.

Lopez turned Garban over to the authorities and identified him as among the six who robbed the jeepney. A complaint against Garban is now pending before the Talisay City Prosecutor's Office.

Lopez reportedly continued hunting the other suspects until he found Cabuenas drinking in a bar along Rabaya Street in Barangay Tabunok yesterday dawn. Cabuenas is a member of the notorious Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity.

Lopez also reportedly identified Cabuenas as one of the robbers.

Based on testimonies of witnesses, the two were already eyeing each other while still inside the bar. They went out later and shot each other. (FREEMAN)