4 slain in attacks; 4 dead in road accidents

Bloody Christmas

MANILA, Philippines — Four persons were killed, three of them in gun attacks, while four died in road accidents in Rizal, Cavite, Pangasinan and Zamboanga del Sur in the past two days.

Esmail Usman and Hernane Esparas were having a drinking spree in Barangay Calumpang, Binangonan when they were shot by a lone gunman at around 10:30 p.m. on Monday.

Usman died at the scene. Esparas was wounded and brought to the Margarito Duavite Memorial Hospital for treatment.

A manhunt for the assailant identified as Renato Saldo is ongoing.

In Antipolo City,  the bullet-riddled body of Andres Laming, who according to the police was a drug user, was found by barangay officials in Barangay Dela Paz.

Jolly Butawan, a public school teacher, was found dead by her father Delfin in the toilet of her house in Barangay Poblacion 5, General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite at 2:50 p.m. also on Monday

Police are eyeing robbery as the motive for the killing, noting that the personal belongings of the victim were missing.

In Trece Martires also in Cavite, the body of a woman who has yet to be identified, was found in a grassy area in Barangay Cabuco.

Probers said the victim could have been killed elsewhere and dumped in the city to mislead investigators.

Meanwhile, in Zamboanga del Sur, Jonathan Timbawas, 17, and his cousin Marvin Gandamon, 16, residents of Barangays Anonang and Buenavista, respectively, in Pagadian City, were riding a motorcycle when it collided with a Bongo truck in Purok Santan, Barangay Locuban, Dumalinao town, according to Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Zamboanga peninsula police spokesperson.

Timbawas died at the scene. Gandamon was declared dead on arrival in a hospital. 

In Pangasinan, Resty de la Cruz, 23, died when the motorcycle he was riding crashed when the driver avoided a man who suddenly crossed the street in Barangay Baay, Lingayen after midnight yesterday. His two companions were wounded.

The victims had reportedly came from a drinking spree when the accident occurred.

In Bolinao, Mike Orteras died when his motorcycle  collided with a tricycle in Barangay Sampaloc at 2:30 a.m. yesterday.

The tricycle driver and his four passengers were injured.

Eight other persons were injured in road accidents in Manaoag, Calasiao and Sta. Barbara. – Emmanuel Tupas, Roel Pareño, Eva Visperas, Cesar Ramirez