Ex-convict gunned down while driving his motorcycle

Police examine the crime scene where a man was shot along M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Cebu City on Tuesday night, September 24, 2019. CDN Digital photo | Alven Marie A. Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines—A man driving his motorcycle was shot dead along M.J. Cuenco Avenue around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

The victim was identified by the police as Francisco Mondares Vinluan, 42-year-old currently residing in Liloan town, northern Cebu but is originally from Sitio Estasyon in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.

Police Captain Dexter Basirgo, Mabolo police chief, said the victim was an ex-convict from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City who was recently released.

Basirgo added the victim might be one of the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) beneficiaries. The victim’s case was murder and he was only released just last August 7.

However, Basirgo said they still have to verify if he was indeed on the list of GCTA beneficiaries and if he has served his maximum prison time.

The investigator of the case, Police Staff Sergeant Gerby Maloloy-on, said they are looking into personal grudge as the motive of the shooting,  considering that he was jailed for murder.

According to witnesses in the area, Vinluan was traversing the southbound lane when an unidentified man onboard another motorcycle approached to the left side the victim’s motorcycle, pulled out a gun and fired three times towards Vinluan’s head.

When the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) team arrived, they found that Vinluan had two gunshot wounds on his head.

Upon inspection of the victim’s belongings, authorities were able to recover at least eight grams of suspected shabu from his pocket. /bmjo