Police appeal to witnesses in lawyer’s shooting attack: Help us identify shooters
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are again calling for witnesses in the shooting attack of a lawyer on Saturday, October 10, in Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City to come forward and help in identifying the culprits in the attack.
Police Colonel Clarito Baja, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) chief, made this call as they continued to investigate the daytime ambush that wounded 74-year-old Lawyer James Joseph Gupana.
Baja said they were checking on the previous cases that Gupana handled to find out if any of the cases had any connection with the Saturday’s ambush.
He said that he was appealing to those witnesses, who had seen the actual shooting attack, to come to the police station and help them identify the gunmen.
Read: Lawyer wounded in daytime ambush in Lapu-Lapu
On Saturday, Lawyer Gupana was heading to his office in Mandaue City from his residence in Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City at past 9 a.m. when motorcycle-riding gunmen fired at his Toyota pickup. He survived the attack.
Baja said that they had yet to get more details on Gupana’s statement saying that he was being followed since Thursday, October 8.
Although Gupana was in stable condition at the hospital, Baja said the doctors would still not allow visitors for the lawyer.
“Naa pa siya sa hospital, unya wala pa ma storya. Gipa adtoan sa investigators wala pa gi allow sa doctor,” said Baja.
(He is still at the hospital and we had not yet spoken with him. We sent investigators there but the doctor would not allow them to speak with the victim.)
Read: Lapu-Lapu cop chief to witnesses: Help us identify Councilor Augusto’s killers
With the recent shooting incidents in the city, Baja ordered Lapu-Lapu policemen to intensify their patrols not only at night but also during the mornings, especially in Barangays Pajac and Poblacion where the shootings happened.
Baja was referring to the shooting attack on Gupana last Saturday, October 10, and the fatal shooting of the late Barangay Councilor Zandro Augusto, who was killed by unidentified gunmen on September 19.
He said that he had instructed policemen in the control points of each barangay to tighten the security and checkpoint inspections.
He said that they would have to increase their police visibility on the streets to be able to respond incidents and deter criminal acts./dbs
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