CEBU, Philippines – A junkshop owner was found dead with a gunshot wound on his right temple inside his own shop in Upper San Roque, Barangay Calamba yesterday morning.
The family claimed that the victim, Wilfredo Cañada, 47, received death threats prior to his death, but initial investigation did not find any indication that someone else shot him.
Responding policemen found Cañada's lifeless body on a sitting position on a steel chair. They also recovered a caliber .45 pistol, a magazine of the same caliber with seven live ammunition, and a slug of the same caliber from the crime scene.
Cañada's 16-year-old daughter told authorities she was sleeping at the upper floor of their house when she was awakened by a thud from the junkshop downstairs. She reportedly ignored it and went back to sleep.
At around 5 am, she went downstairs for the restroom and saw her father covered in blood. She immediately went to get her mother, Linda, and elder sister and they later found Cañada already dead.
Cañada's other daughter, Wendolyn Borres, 24, said her father confided to her that he had received a death threat and that someone reportedly kept on following him. Borres said she even advised her father to be always watchful.
PO3 Victor Ruel Ayuman of the Homicide Section said that based on physical considerations, it is more likely that Cañada had committed suicide and not killed.
"Base sa situation, makita nga hikog jud, wala'y struggle na makita sa crime scene, but maghuwat sa ta sa result sa paraffin test ug sa autopsy para ma-fully determine kung unsa jud ni," Ayuman said.
Cañada's remains were taken to the Saint Francis Funeral Home for autopsy.
Meanwhile, a member of the Barangay Intelligence Network which is under the Cebu City Police Office landed at the hospital after he was shot by a 20-year-old man in sitio Sto. Niño, Barangay Quiot Sunday evening.
Geruncio Morales, of legal age, was hit by a bullet from his own firearm when he was grappling with the suspect identified as Arnel Yburan, a resident of Phase 5, Barangay Buhisan.
Jerry Gorelo, 67, grandfather of the suspect's live-in-partner, told the police he was walking along an alley with his wife, granddaughters, and Yburan past 6pm last Sunday when the victim, who was drinking with some men, suddenly confronted Yburan.
The confrontation led to a heated argument and eventually to a fistfight during which Morales pulled out a .45 caliber pistol. Yburan, however, was fast enough to grab the firearm from Morales and shot the victim twice.
Yburan then handed the gun over to Gorelo and asked the old man to keep the gun, as he would come back for it. "Hipusa 'na lo kay ako na balikon," Gorelo quoted Yburan as saying before the suspect fled.
Morales was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center where he underwent an operation.
Police recovered the subject gun, two empty shells, five live ammunitions and a magazine of the same caliber from the crime scene. Yburan remained at large as of yesterday. (FREEMAN)