Police examine the car driven by Kagawad Neil Abella of San Isidro, San Fernando town. Abella and his two companions were strafed by an unidentified assailant on Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City.
CDN PHOTO/BENJIE B. TALISIC
It was a quiet night aside from the usual hum of a few passing vehicles along Gen. Maxilom Avenue on the first hour of Friday the 13th, when suddenly a burst of gunfire reverberated in the air.
The shots were fired by an unknown assailant, directed against three persons, one of whom died instantly, just outside of the Burger King outlet in the area.
SPO3 Rommel Bangcog, the investigator on duty of the homicide section of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), told Cebu Daily News that the fatality’s driver’s license identified him as Neil Abella.
The driver’s license recorded the town of San Fernando in southern Cebu as his hometown.
He was later identified as the incumbent councilor of Barangay San Isidro, San Fernando town.
One of his companions, Enric Clint Alesna 41, was hit by a stray bullet on his elbow. The other companion, identified as Mabel Noel escaped unscathed. Both are residents of Carcar City.
Witness accounts showed that the three were on board a yellow Honda Fit car driven by Abella which stopped by the burger joint shortly after 1 a.m. as they ordered food.
As they returned to the vehicle, an armed man appeared and repeatedly fired at them then fled in an unknown direction.
Police recovered at the crime scene several items believed to be drug paraphernalia, a lighter, some cash and a cellphone.
Cebu City Police Director, Senior Supt. Joel Doria said they received unverified information that Abella was allegedly linked to suspected drug lord Franz Sabalones.
Senior Insp. Adrian Nalua, Chief of the San Fernando Police Station in a telephone interview said that Abella was an incumbent village councilor of Barangay San Isidro in San Fernando town.
Abella allegedly surrendered to the police previously and was on their drug watchlist.
Nalua said Abella was the chairman of the committee on peace and order of Barangay San Isidro in San Fernando.
Abella’s two companions will be summoned for questioning on why they were in Cebu City considering that they came from Carcar City.
The police are also getting the footage from CCTV cameras near the area to possibly identify Abella’s assailant.
CDN tried to get the reaction of San Isidro Barangay Captain Medecielo Francisco but failed.