CEBU CITY, Philippines — Anger may have led a farmer from Pinamungajan town in southwestern Cebu to shoot another while it rained hard Friday night, October 4.
Catalino Maniscad, 31, has denied to shooting his neighbor, Benjamin Fernando Sr. But Pinamungajan police brought Maniscad to the Regional Crime Laboratory this morning, October 5, for paraffin testing.
The result of the paraffin test remained unavailable as of this writing.
Police Corporal Lyle Joseph Ugdamen of the Pinamungajan Police Station said they are looking at personal grudge as a motive in Fernando’s shooting. But they are yet to determine what exactly caused Maniscad’s anger.
Ugdamen said that Fernando, 38, appeared at the police station past 1 a.m. today to accuse Maniscad of trying to kill him. He sustained a bullet wound on the right side of his waist and the right side of his wrist which he covered with cloth to stop the bleeding when he visited the police station.
Fernando told the police that he was walking home to Purok Pinya in Barangay Sibago from his farm at around 9 p.m. on Friday when the suspect fired at least shots from behind hitting him on the right side of his waist and wrist.
Although bleeding, he said that he ran to his home located around 100 meters away. Fernando told the police that he was no longer certain if Maniscad still pursued him while he fled.
Fernando claimed to having seen Maniscad flee from the crime scene.
The suspect lived at least 500 meters away from where Fernando lived.
Fernando told the police that he was unable to immediately report the incident because it was raining hard then.
He only visited the police station four hours later.
Pinamungajan police visited Maniscad’s residence at 4:40 a.m. to invite the latter to the police station for questioning. The police team also failed to locate the gun which the suspect allegedly used against Fernando.
Still, police opted to detain Maniscad while they continue to investigate the shooting incident.
Ugdamen told CDN Digital that Maniscad was also brought to the Regional Crime Laboratory located in Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City this morning for paraffin testing. / dcb