2 drug personalities shot dead in Lapu in a span of 3 hours

Paul Jonathan Ompad, 55, of Barangay Basak who is an alleged drug personality, was gunned down by unidentified motor-riding assailants in separate shooting incidents on Tuesday morning, March 13, 2018 in Lapu-Lapu City. PHOTOS/Norman Mendoza

TWO persons allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade were gunned down by motor-riding assailants in separate shooting incidents Tuesday morning in Lapu-Lapu City.

The two shooting incidents which happened in a span of just three hours, has prompted Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza to order the police to immediately apprehend motor-riding criminals and increase police visibility to deter crimes.

Radaza said that the shooting incidents might give the wrong impression to tourists that it is not safe to visit the island.

The first incident occurred in Sitio Pusok Cemento in Barangay Pusok at 7:50 a.m. wherein one Jerome Igot, 39 who is a resident of said barangay was gunned down by a lone assailant who later boarded a waiting motorcycle.

PO3 Marven Saraum, investigator of Homicide Section, revealed that the victim was walking towards a road from his home when he was shot.

Igot, who wasn’t hit in the neck, was rushed to the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital where he was declared “dead-on-arrival” by the attending physician.

Police recovered an empty shell of .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene.

Igot was a drug surrenderer based on police records at Pusok Police Station.

The second shooting incident transpired at Sitio Sangi New Road in Barangay Pajo which resulted to the death of one Paul Jonathan Ompad, a resident of Barangay Basak who was shot several times by a riding-in-tandem while he was driving his motorcycle past 10 a.m.

PO3 Wilson Malnegro, of the Homicide Section said that based on witnesses’ accounts, the victim was traversing Sangi road when he was shot several times by the back rider of a motorcycle tailing him. The suspects wore full-face helmets, Malnegro said.

Eduvio Villamor, a friend of the victim who works at Lapu-Lapu City Hall, told police that he was able to talk to the victim a few minutes before he was shot when the latter passed by the city hall.

He said Ompad, who was a former barangay tanod of Barangay Basak, was a drug personality who was once arrested. Ompad, Villamor said, was able to post bail and his case is currently being heard.

Police Supt. Rey Tiempo, Deputy City Director for Administration (DCDA) of Lapu-lapu City Police Office, said they have been conducting checkpoints at least twice a day per police station but their operations are hampered due to limited personnel.

He said, that based on their investigation, most of the victims were drug personalities killed by rival groups or terminated for cheating on their transactions.