Lumber store owner, garbage truck driver among 5 killed in shooting

A lumber store owner was killed by unknown assailants in Barangay Kinasang-an, Cebu City past 6 a.m. yesterday.

Charito Mepico, 48, just opened Janice Enterprises when the assailants fired at him. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds on the body.

PO3 Cristobal Geronimo, investigator of the Cebu City Police Office’s homicide division, said Mepico’s wife Janice told him that the victim had used illegal drugs.

“He (Mepico) reportedly stopped using drugs just recently. He was allegedly a user but never a drug pusher,” he said in an interview.

Geronimo said they also found inside the victim’s wallet an identification card that shows the latter was a confidential agent of the police.

Two weeks ago, Mepico’s wife said a man, whose face was concealed with cloth, went to their residence looking for her husband.

The victim’s brother, Donio, told investigators that the victim’s wife allegedly had an illicit affair with a certain Tibo Lawas. The motive in the killing has yet to be established. Recovered from the crime scene were a .45 caliber pistol owned by the victim and empty shells of a .99 mm caliber. Geronimo said Mepico’s wife was inside her room when the victim was gunned down.

Meanwhile, a 45-year-old man was shot dead by unknown assailants along Katipunan Street, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City past midnight yesterday.

The victim identified by his live-in partner Kimberly Regoner as Alan Igot was imprisoned for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Igot was released from the Cebu City Jail two years ago, Regoner said.

At past 4 a.m. yesterday, a garbage truck driver was shot dead by a security guard inside the Ramos Public Market in Cebu City.

The victim identified as Nestor Pasilang was reportedly arranging vegetables in one of the market’s stalls when the suspect, Jeremias Daniel, approached him. Pasilang and Daniel reportedly argued about opening of the market’s entrance door.

Meanwhile, two drug suspects died and another one seriously injured in separate police operations in Mandaue City. Elvin Sison, 32, who was reportedly a nephew of Mandaue City Councilor Carmelino del Mar, died in a shootout with police around 4 a.m. yesterday in Barangay Ibabao-Estancia.

Chief Insp. Michael Angelo Beltran, Station Commander of Centro Police Station, said they were about to serve the search warrant issued by RTC Branch 28 Executive Judge Mercedita Dadole-Ygnacio against Sison when the latter suddenly fired at them, hitting PO1 Ryan Heyrosa in the right leg, prompting them to retaliate. Sison sustained gunshot wounds in the body. Recovered from Sison were 9mm pistol, six empty shells of 9mm, .45 pistol with live bullets and 17 small sachets and four medium packs of suspected shabu. Sison had surrendered to the police in August but allegedly returned to illegal drug trade.

In separate incident, Raymund Bulanon, 24, also died after engaging in a shootout with the police, while a search warrant was being served to him past 4 a.m. yesterday in Purok Star Apple, Barangay Umapad.

Bulanon was declared dead at the Mandaue City Hospital after sustaining gunshot wounds in his body. Senior Insp. Genilo Veraque, Station Commander of Opao Police Station, revealed that Bulanon had surrendered to them last week but allegedly returned to selling illegal drugs.