Councilman, 2 others hurt in three shootings

CEBU, Philippines - Three people including a barangay councilman were injured in separate shooting incidents in Cebu recently.

In Dumanjug town, Kanguha councilman Achiles Cabases injured himself on his left foot after one Enreque Cababat repeatedly shot at his house at 10 pm on Thursday.

The suspect was arrested and was seized with a caliber .45 pistol with nine bullets and a home-made shotgun with four bullets.

Cabases narrated that he was lying in bed when he heard thuds outside his house, prompting his wife to check. His wife allegedly saw a figure of a man but could not identify who he was.

A few minutes later, bursts of gunfire were heard.

Cabases said he could not think of anyone who might be harboring a grudge against him except for Cababat and his alleged toughie group.

The councilman alleged that the suspect’s group fired shots during the town fiesta on May 3 but no one dared inform the police about the incident.

It was on Wednesday when the barangay summoned Cababat’s group to the barangay hall when they figured in a verbal argument with Cabases’ brother, Nilo.

“Wa gyud ko kahibalo nganong akoy nadumtan. Tungod tingale kay naa ko sa barangay unya nagkabangi sila sa akong manghud. Kauban ana kanang gihinganlan ug Melvin ug Jeboy,” the councilman further alleged.

Cabases said he will pursue charges against the suspect, who is now detained.

In a separate incident in Tuburan, Wilfredo Butaslac, 49, chief tanod of Barangay Kamansi, was injured in his left finger when Ernando Molejon shot and hit him.

At 4 pm last Friday, a drunk and armed Molejon arrived at the public market and reportedly pointed the gun at anyone while dry-firing it.

Butaslac, reportedly responded and tried to approach the suspect, but the latter fired at him instead.

The tanod was treated of his wound while the suspect, who hails from Anapog, Catmon town, escaped and is now being hunted down by police.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Cristina Bolonias was seriously injured after she was reportedly shot by her companion’s husband in Barangay Lanao, Daanbantayan.

Initial investigation showed that Bolonias, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, went to the house of a certain Gloria Rodrigo together with Rodrigo’s sister, Luzviminda Quirante.

They were already inside Rodrigo’s house when Quirante’s husband, Ronald, 32, arrived and suddenly fired shots, hitting Bolonias on her buttocks thrice.

The victim was rushed to the Daanbantayan District Hospital and was later transferred to a hospital in Cebu City while the suspect, who tried to escape on a motorcycle, was arrested by police at the public plaza of the nearby Medellin town.

The suspect yielded a caliber .22 revolver and was brought to the police station for the filing of appropriate charges.   (FREEMAN)