Hot pursuit on against suspect of shooting incident outside Cebu City church

The victim, identified as Gilbert Abiog, 35, is being treated by medics in Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A hot pursuit operation is ongoing for a suspect of a shooting incident that happened just outside the Alliance of Two Hearts Church in Banawa, Cebu City, Friday morning, May 26, 2023.

Police Chief Master Sergeant Melvin Jimenez, the chief investigator of Guadalupe Police Station, identified the suspect of the shooting incident as Eugene Chan Lim, a resident of R. Duterte St., Banawa, Guadalupe, Cebu City.

Jimenez said Lim shot a certain Gilbert Abiog, 35, outside the church.

The victim was the husband of Lim’s former live-in partner, Irish Abiog, with whom he has two children, aged 15 and 11.

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Jimenez said they are initially considering jealousy as motive behind the shooting in Banawa.

Abiog sustained a gunshot wound in the buttocks and was rushed to the hospital.

Jimenez said Lim was attending a thanksgiving ceremony at the church for the graduation of one of his children before the shooting happened.

“(When the shooting incident happened) Natapos na ang thanksgiving kay nadala naman sa asawa (Iresh) ang katong iyahang mga anak. Siguro, nag selos siguro kay sa nakita niya, pagtan-aw niya sa sakyanan, diha ang bana na ni Irish. Mao ‘tong nahitabo nga nagka inilugay sila sa armas,” Jimenez told CDN Digital.

Police officers in Cebu City are still processing the empty bullet shell recovered from the crime scene to identify the gun that Lim used.

The crime scene where a shooting incident happened in Banawa, Bebu City. CDN Digital photo | Paul Lauro

Jimenez said Lim may face charges of attempted murder or attempted homicide.

/bmjo