The number of killings rises

FROM last Thursday’s death toll of 14 persons, another four persons were killed in less than 24 hours, in separate incidents in Cebu starting
Monday evening.

At past 5 p.m. on Monday, a 59-year-old member of the Barangay Public Safety Office (BPSO) in Mandaue City was shot dead in Barangay Cubacub.

The victim, Paulino Vega, sustained gunshot wounds on his body causing his immediate death.

Initial investigation by the Canduman Police Station led by PO2 Ryan Diamada, showed that the victim just came from a nearby school, assisting the flow of traffic. While he was walking, unidentified motorcycle-riding men both wearing helmets and bonnets appeared from behind Vega.

The backrider shot him several times causing Vega to slump into the road after which the assailant disembarked and finished off the victim by shooting him on the head.

Two hours later, another shooting incident happened in a busy street in Cebu City.

Jason Faustor, a resident of Lilo-an town, was riding his motorcycle and was in full stop along Cardinal Rosales St. Cebu City when a still unidentified assailant shot him on his nape.

He was immediately brought to a private hospital but died at past 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to his mother-in-law, Gloria Pilapil, some people owed Faustor a huge amount of money which she thinks, must be the motive of the killing of her son-in-law.

In a radio interview, Pilapil said Faustor was an appliance salesman for a mall at the Cebu Business Park.

He already left work and was on his way to Lapu-Lapu City to fetch his wife when he was shot by a motorcycle rider past 7 p.m. on Monday.

Past 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the body of a trisikad driver was found lying on the roadside in Barangay Cambuhawe, Balamban town.

Jonaly Claros, 39, was found with gunshot wounds on different parts of his body.

Senior Insp. Deni Mari Pedrozo, chief of the Balamban Police Station, said that they are still investigating the incident to identify his killers and the motive behind the crime.

At past 11 of the same day, a tanod from the mountain barangay of Sinsin in Cebu City was shot dead by two still unidentified motorcycle-riding men while he was in Zone 5 Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City.

PO1 June Zamora of the Talisay City Police Office homicide section identified the fatality as a certain Roger Labajo, who works as a barangay tanod of Sinsin and a motorcycle-for-hire driver at the same time.

Zamora said that Labajo was on board his motorcycle, traversing the Toledo-Wharf road on his way to Barangay Tabunok when the suspects, who appeared to be tailing him, shot him from behind.

Doria Cose, a Lagtang resident, said she heard a single gunshot before she saw Labajo fall from his motorcycle.

Zamora said that Labajo may have dropped off a passenger in the area, the reason why he was in Talisay City when the shooting incident
happened.

With the spate of shooting incidents in Cebu, Police Regional Director, Chief Supt. Debold Sinas directed all city and provincial directors in the region to review the effectiveness of security plans.

“I directed them to review the effectiveness of their patrol plan, police visibility plan and random checkpoint plan and make adjustments if needed,” said Sinas in a text message sent to Cebu Daily News.

He said he wanted the police officers in the region to conduct regular inspections of their personnel detailed in the streets to check if they are doing their job.

“Likewise, I reminded them to continue their anti criminality operations,” said Sinas.