Personal grudge, drugs eyed in Christmas Day killing in Cebu City

A man was killed past 2 a.m. on Christmas Day, December 25, 2022, by still unidentified perpetrator in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Personal grudge in relation to illegal drugs is the possible motive in the killing a man past 2 a.m. on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, in Sitio Nangka in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

Police Major Janelito Marquez, chief of Labangon Police Station, identified the victim as Mike Gomez, 33, a resident of the barangay. Gomez was gunned down by a still unidentified perpetrator on Christmas Day.

According to the victim’s live-in-partner, Marquez said that moments before the killing, Gomez went outside to buy  a cigarette from a nearby store. 

When he arrived there and waited, standing at the alley while playing with his phone, an unidentified assailant suddenly shot him twice.

Gomez was hit at the left portion of his neck and on his chest. Despite his gunshot wounds, the victim still managed to run away from the assailant, but he only managed to run for about 70 meters, when he fell to the ground.

The gunman then fled the area. 

Meanwhile, police are still looking for witnesses that can help them shed more light on the killing and identify the assailant.

Marquez admitted that they still did not have information if the gunman was on a motorcycle or was just walking at the time of the attack.

For his part, Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that they received a report that the victim had an altercation with someone two days before the shooting happened.

“Personal grudge daw kay kining biktima kay naay kalalis two days ago. Di pa nila mahibaw-an unsay rason. Allegedly naa ni siyay, ginaingun nilag onsehan? Naay wala maremit kay allegedly involved ni siya sa illegal nga druga,” Dalogdog said.

(It is believed to be a personal grudge [the motive in the killing] because the victim had an altercation with someone two days ago. They still did not know the reason for the altercation. But allegedly, the victim had what you could say a  misunderstanding? There was something that was not remitted because he was allegedly involved in illegal drugs.)

“Nagka onsehan, nikuha siya og item dapat ibalik niya kung pilay nakuha. Wala niya nabalik ang pangbayad. Maong gibalikan ni siya [suspect],” he added.

(There was a misunderstanding, he allegedly took an item which he would return how much he took. He allegedly failed to return the payment. That is why the suspect killed him.)

Dalogdog also said that Gomez was not included in the station’s illegal drug watchlist, but they received information recently that he was involved in illegal drugs.

Despite this incident, Dalogdog said that the city had remained peaceful. 

He also assured that the shooting was an isolated case and that the investigators were trying to catch the assailant.

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