LOT DISPUTE led to the killing of three persons in Balamban town in midwest Cebu, Saturday night.
Killed were Joel Bencula, 37, Mario Caminos, 60, and Emilio Pardillo of a still undetermined age.
Bencula is from Sitio Ubogon in Barangay Liki while Caminos and Pardillo are from the mountain Barangay in Hingatmonan.
Supt. Janette Rafter, Chief of the Balamban Police Station, said that Bencula and his two companions attacked the residence of Roel Codiñera, 34, in the mountain barangay of Biasong at around 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Police investigation showed that Bencula’s family is involved in a lot dispute with Codiñera’s family which dates back to the 1980s.
However, Codiñera sensed the presence of the three bonnet-wearing men close to his residence on Saturday night and managed to open fire at them.
An exchange of gunfire ensued which resulted to the death of the three intruders, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds on the different parts of their body.
Codiñera was unharmed.
Rafter said Codiñera surrendered to the police at least three hours since the exchange of gunfire and turned over an unlicensed .45 caliber pistol.
Police invited for questioning three other men whom they believed helped Codiñera neutralize his three attackers.
They also recovered a .39 caliber revolver, 9 mm pistol and a carbine close to the bodies of Bencula, Caminos and Pardillo.
Rafter said they are now preparing murder charges against Codiñera while they determined what charge to file against the three persons of interest who remain under police custody.
She assured that they will also continue to investigate the dispute involving the families of Bencula and Codiñera.