Guba killing: Widower was probably pursued by his assailants before he was shot dead

A 59 year-old widower was found dead with gunshot wounds by the side of a road in Sitio Oano, Barangay Guba, Cebu City on Friday, July 14. | PCP 1 via Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The 59-year-old widower, who was killed while riding his motorcycle along a secluded and unlighted road in Barangay Guba, Cebu City on July 14, was probably pursued by his attackers on a motorcycle, who caught up with him in the area.

Patrolman Rondel Padilla, desk officer at the Police Community Precinct 1 (PCP 1) in Barangay Adlaon, Cebu City, told CDN Digital in a phone interview that there was a high probability that the victim, Gonzalo Diacoma, was pursued by his attackers, who were also on a motorcycle.

READ: Businessman killed in Danao, personal grudge eyed as motive

Guba killing: Investigator’s assessment

Padilla said that this was based on the investigator’s assessment of the area in Sitio Oano of Barangay Guba, where the victim, was killed.

The area where Diacoma was found was secluded and unlighted or there were no lampposts in that stretch of road.

Guba is a mountain barangay in the northern part of Cebu City, which is a neighboring barangay of Adlaon.

READ: Talisay killing: Third suspect in mom’s murder surrenders

Dead man in a sitio in Guba

According to Police Captain Wilmer Castillo, PCP 1 chief, initial investigation showed that they received information about a dead man in a road in Sitio Oano at around 6:30 p.m. on July 14.

Castillo said they immediately checked the area and found a dead and bloodied Diacoma, who was still on his motorcycle that was lying on its side at the side of the road.

Emergency medical responders found the victim dead with bullet wounds in his body.

Police also found empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene.

READ: Quezon barangay captain shot dead

Guba killing at late afternoon

Castillo also estimated that the shooting probably happened at 6:15 p.m. that day.

Patrolman Padilla, for his part, said that witnesses, whose houses were located quite a distance from the crime scene, told investigators that they only heard a muffled sound in the direction of the area, which were probably gunshots.

Diacoma was brought to the St. Francis Funeral Homes.

Padilla said that Diacoma was identified by his live-in partner, who told them (police) that she could not recall of her partner having any enemies at all.

READ: Samboan killing: Fisherman, ex-security guard, shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunman

Mountain barangays in Cebu City

She said that they lived in Barangay Pung-ol Sibugay, Cebu City, which is also a mountain barangay in northern Cebu City.

Padilla also said that they were waiting for the results of the post-mortem examinations of the Scene of the Crime Operatives to find out how many times the victim was shot and killed.

He said that they would continue to investigate the death of Diacoma and perhaps, identify and arrest his killer or killers.