Leave case with the police, FEU appeals
Fearing a second attack “to finish the job,” FEU team owner Anton Montinola yesterday appealed for sobriety from media to end speculation on why power forward Marnel (Mac) Baracael was shot by a lone gunman Thursday night and said the case should be left strictly with the police to avoid telegraphing moves that could tip off the assailant.
“Silence is golden at this point,” said Montinola. “We refrain from making comments because the gunman could make another attempt at Mac’s life. It’s a scary situation and right now, our focus is to secure our team.”
Montinola said Baracael, 23, is lucky to be alive after a bullet from a .45 caliber pistol pierced his lung but went through his body.
“The trajectory of the bullet was horizontal,” he said. “If the bullet went a little upward, it would’ve hit his heart. If it went a little downward, it would’ve damaged his stomach, kidney or spleen. He could’ve died.”
Baracael was with teammates Robert Kave and Ron Cabagnot in front of the Philtrust Bank at the corner of Morayta and Papa when a gunman came from behind to fire using a silencer. After the first shot, the gunman removed the silencer and pulled the trigger once more, this time hitting the ground to create panic in the busy street.
“It was between 8 and 9 at night after practice,” said FEU athletic director Mark Molina. “There were people all over. Vendors were out in the streets. Nobody saw the gunman clearly although some witnesses were able to describe what he wore, how tall he was, that he had a cap on. The gunman was apparently waiting for a while before Mac came along.”
Baracael and his teammates ran to the FEU gate after the shooting. His teammates entered the campus to get a car while Baracael, who was bleeding, sat on the sidewalk to wait. A pedicab driver took Baracael to the
Because the hospital is not equipped to determine the extent of the damage, Dr. Certenia referred Baracael to
Baracael’s blood pressure was stable when he was rushed to the hospital, indicating no damage to the heart, which was a relief, said Molina. Later dye tests at
The bullet’s exit saved Baracael’s life. The shot was from point blank range so the impact propelled the bullet clear through his body.
“Our priority is to give Mac the medical care and attention for him to recover completely,” said Montinola. “There are no leads so far on who did it and why it was done. The police are now investigating. Authorities aren’t disclosing what’s being done for obvious reasons.”
Montinola said the shooting has rallied the Tamaraws around Baracael. “We played a very emotional game against UE last Saturday,” he added. “We’ve got to be up for our game against Ateneo on Thursday.”
A player who has been traumatized by the incident is Kave.
“Robert is asking to go back to
Molina said the shooting had nothing to do with FEU’s roster revamp after the 2006 season where the Tamaraws didn’t qualify for the Final Four despite
Molina dismissed speculation the attempt on Baracael’s life was linked to a game-fixing syndicate.
“Mac was conscious throughout the procedure at Mary Chiles,” said Molina. “But he’s not in a position to discuss things at the moment. He was never involved in any investigation. We don’t know why he was shot.”
Last year, FEU player Alfredo Gerilla was removed from the team. Sources said he was suspected of game-fixing but no hard evidence ever surfaced. Another former Tamaraw Jeff Chan, who played on the Philippine team that won the gold at the Southeast Asian Games last year, was allegedly suspected of involvement with a gambling syndicate. However, Gerilla and Chan were never implicated formally because of lack of proof.
Montinola and Molina declined to give credence to speculation that Baracael, a third-year player, squealed on the syndicate.
“There was no squealing from Mac,” said Molina. “It’s unfortunate all this gossip is coming out in the wake of the shooting. Let’s just leave the case in police hands.”
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