Barangay Sudlon II, Cebu City.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Multiple gunshots were heard in the mountain barangay of Sudlon II in Cebu City on the eve of the 2019 midterm elections causing fear among its residents.
Sudlon II Barangay Captain Prescillo Albores said they heard multiple gunshots of what sounded like high-powered firearms near the barangay hall past 11 p.m. of May 12, the eve of election day.
Albores said many of the residents chose to gather and stay in barangay hall for safety following the strafing incident in his home on April 4 by still unidentified gunmen.
He said the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, who are deployed in the barangay, checked around the area for traces of persons who may have fired the weapons.
But Albores said the SWAT team came back with nothing.
Shortly after the incident near the barangay hall, another set of gunshots were also heard in Sitio Kansagahan, located only a few kilometers from the barangay hall.
“Mura man tog nagtinubagay. (They seemed to be an exchange of gunshots),” Albores told CDN Digital.
Albores said the “exchange” seemed to be a signal system because gunshots were heard in one area and was then “responded” by another set of gunshots in a nearby area.
Prior to the incident, Albores said that people were playing basketball and volleyball in the barangay’s covered court.
When they heard the gunshots, they ran to the barangay hall for safety.
He said the ladies in the village fear for their lives and have been crying because of the incident.
Prayer vigil
Because of the geographical nature of the mountain barangays, the gunshots in Sudlon II were also heard in the neighbouring barangay of Sudlon I, where parishioners at the San Juan Bautista Parish are conducting a vigil for a peaceful election.
Fr. Bernard Oyao, the parish priest of Sudlon I, said they heard the gunshots from the neighboring barangay which prompted them to pray harder for safety.
Oyao said that some men have been disturbing the vigil by knocking on the door but none of them made any further attempts to harass the parishioners.
The priest told CDN Digital that in the past days, the tensions brought by elections have strained the relationships of people in Sudlon I. He said these tensions have brought unnecessary fear among the residents.
Despite these circumstances, Oyao hopes that the residents will remain safe.
Albores is now calling the help of Archbishop Jose Palma to pray for the safety of the residents of Sudlon II. / celr