CEBU CITY, Philippines – A fatal shooting took place in Moalboal town, southern Cebu on the eve of their fiesta celebration.
Still unidentified gunmen shot dead an ex-convict right outside the venue of a beauty pageant in Brgy. Poblacion, Moalboal late Monday evening, May 15, 2023.
A tattoo on the chest of the victim. | Contributed Photo
Police in Moalboal identified the victim as Jaylord Tabanao Tapales of Brgy. Tunga, also in Moalboal. Tapales, 26, had been previously jailed for drug-related charges, police added.
Based on their initial investigations, the victim was parking his motorcycle in front of Moalboal Municipal Gym around 10 p.m. on Monday, where the Miss Moalboal pageant was being held, when suspects fired two shots towards him.
Witnesses told investigators they saw two men, believed to be the perpetrators, fleeing the area on board a motorcycle.
In the meantime, police said investigations are now ongoing to determine the motives behind the killing of Tapales. These included the possibility that the crime may have stemmed from his history of drug-related cases, they added.
Investigators have already secured several closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that captured the moments when the suspects fled the crime scene.
Moalboal is a fourth-class municipality located approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.
/bmjo
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