Man shot dead after posting poll materials

A man was shot to death and his companion wounded on their way home after posting campaign materials at barangay Poblacion in Compostela Wednesday evening.

Twenty-three-year-old James Oros, a resident of the barangay, died in the hospital of a gunshot wound on his neck with the bullet piercing also the upper left shoulder of 24-year-old Justine Harvey Mecaros, who is now deemed in serious condition by his physician.

A report from the Cebu Provincial Police Office stated that the victims were with Harvey’s 16-year-old brother pasting posters on electric posts in the barangay. The posters were for the brothers’ uncle Manuel Mecaros who is running for reelection as councilman of barangay Poblacion.

Compostela policeman, SPO4 Florencio Balila, said that after the three were done with their task they rode on a motorcycle and headed home. The teenaged Mecaros was driving, his brother Harvey behind him and Oros astride at the rearmost of the vehicle.

The suspect who was arrested during a hot pursuit operation was identified as Jumbo Pumar, 24, also of barangay Poblacion and has denied of the crime during his arrest.

Upon reaching Palmer’s Drive of the barangay, the gunman, who was standing by the roadside, fired shots at them. Oros and Harvey were hit while the teenager escaped unscathed.

Policemen responded to the scene and quickly took the victims to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital where Oros died a few minutes after. 

Balila said the policemen were able to arrest later the alleged gunman who they identified as 24-year-old Jumbo Pumar. They also recovered from the crime scene a slug of a gun of a still undetermined caliber.

Pumar, when arrested, denied to the police that he was the gunman but authorities have surmised that the shooting might have something to do with fraternity rivalry instead of political conflict.

Balila told The Freeman that Oros was reportedly a member of Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity while Pumar was said to belong to the rival Tau Gamma Phi fraternity. Besides, the two have been known to have been holding a grudge at each other, he said.

The police yesterday brought Pumar to the PNP Crime laboratory for a paraffin test while murder and frustrated murder charges were already being prepared for filing against him.

CPPO director Carmelo Valmoria also clarified that the shooting and killing could not yet be deemed election-related at this time, citing the fraternity affiliations of the two. — Flor Z. Perolina/RAE