Residents link cops to drive-by shooting

A 21-year-old man was fatally shot in the chest while three others were wounded in a drive-by shooting in barangay Nangka in Balamban town last Friday night.

The fatality was identified as  Ernel Bucag while those wounded — Clint Estan, 24; Rhembran Estan, 19, and Rey Toong, 20  were taken to a hospital in Cebu City for treatment.

Police said the victims were playing  cards at  around 11 p.m. when two men aboard a Honda XRM motorcycle arrived and fired at the victim.
The assailants fled after the attack, PO2 Marvin Hubahid.

Four slugs and 11 spent  9mm shells were recovered from the crime scene.
Prior to the attack, police had raided the area where illegal gambling paraphernalia were seized.

Police swooped down on the area after residents complained of the noise caused by people playing bulitsi, a type of card game.
During the raid, unidentified  people  pelted the police with stones.

Hubahid said the patrol car used in the raid was damaged in the attack.
Some residents believe the police are behind the  strafing incident.

Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), ordered the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) to investigate the allegations.
“I believe that our three policemen did not take revenge but to be fair I ordered PIB to conduct an investigation separate from the Balamban Police Station,” Gillamac told Cebu Daily News.

Gillamac said it was possible that the local perya (carnival) had a permit as part of the fiesta celebration but there were opportunists  taking advantage of the event and  engaged in illegal gambling activities.
“There is a possibility that those who threw stones at the patrol car were angry since they might be allegedly involved in that gambling activity,” Gillamac explained