Victim, suspect both teens: Boy shoots pal dead

CEBU, Philippines - A “good friendship” ended tragically after a 16-year old boy was shot dead by his 15-year-old friend and neighbor while allegedly playing with a gun inside a house in Sitio Kamagong, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, last Thursday afternoon.

Chelo Valenzona, 16, succumbed to a gunshot wound in the nape after he was allegedly shot by his teenager friend inside the latter’s room. The name of the suspect is being withheld by The FREEMAN.

Valenzona and the 15-year-old boy have reportedly been close friends since childhood.

According to Isabelle Sonit, Valenzona’s mother, before the incident her son was preparing to go to night classes at the Lahug Night High School where he was Grade 8. Sonit said he asked for a P10 so he can go to an internet café for research.

She said still saw him when she passed by the internet café on her way to buy butane nearby, but heading home she saw he was not in there anymore.

“Gidala na diay anang nakapusil didto sa ila,” said Sonit.

Later, around 5:30 p.m. she heard a gunshot from their neighbor’s house and she then heard her son asking for help.

Sonit said she and her son’s friend immediately brought her son to Perpetual Soccour Hospital.

 “Di ka kasabot ma’am uy, bisan ikaw magsud-ong di ka kasabot sa imong gibati. Pagsakay lang gani namo sa taxi, pag tan-aw lang nako niya magsige og sugwak ang dugo sa diha pa mi sa taxi, unya magsunod ang utok,” Sonit said.

Sonit said she doubts if it was accidental since this was allegedly not the first time that the suspect pointed a gun at someone who is also at his age. She said she heard reports the suspect also pointed the gun at others.

She said they were about to embalm to body of her son but the embalmer allegedly told them the body must be autopsied first since there were two bullets still embedded in his nape.

“Di sa ato pa, di gyud na duwa-duwa kay duha gud ka bala. Ambot kaha kung tinuod ba. Karon mahibaw-an inig autopsy niana,” said Sonit.

However, Police Officer 3 Edario Manatad, investigator at the Homicide Section in the Cebu City Police Office, said their initial investigation points to  an accidental shooting.

“Kay og naa pud intention nga pusilon, sibat gyud siya. Dili sad na niya buhaton didto sa iyang kwarto. So posible nga aksidente gyud,” said Manatad.

He said when they arrived at the crime scene they did not see any gun. When they arrived at the hospital the suspect reportedly surrendered to them voluntarily.

The boy claimed he threw the gun onto the bed as he shouted to get help for Valenzona.

Manatad added the suspect would not say who owned the gun.

“Di sad gyud mosulti kung kinsa ang armas. Among gipangutana ngano man nga nagdala ana nga illegal man na, dili sad gyud mosulti,” said Manatad.

The suspect allegedly told them that he before he fired he took out the bullet in the chamber he expected the hammer would fall on. He did not know the hammer would strike the next chamber.

“Revolver man gud. Inig kablit nimo, motuyok man gyud na, adto gyud na motumong sa naa’y bala,” said Manatad.

He said the suspect will have to be prove his innocence in court since there were just the two of them inside the room. A homicide case was already filed against the boy before the Cebu City prosecutor’s office yesterday afternoon.

Sonit said she is still not ready to face the family of the suspect because of what happened.

She added Valenzona, who takes the family name of her live-in partner, is a very good son and is even among the top students in school. She also said her son and the suspect are really close friends, but if they had a recent conflict she does not know.

“Ilaban gyud ni nako bahala og wala mi kwarta,” said the mother of the victim.

Policemen are now coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to turn over the 15-year-old boy to them. But as of last night DSWD head Dr. Ester Concha said they have not received a report of the incident but she will send some of her staff to see the boy today. — /BRP (FREEMAN)