DAVAO CITY — For still unknown reasons, three automotive mechanics were wounded in a shooting inciednt in a village in Polomolok town, South Cotabato province on Sunday afternoon that left three people wounded.
Lt. Redin Cuevas, deputy chief for operations of Polomolok municipal police station, said the victims, all auto mechanics, were working on a vehicle at a house in Purok 1, Barangay Lapu around 1:50 p.m. when they were fired upon by an unidentified suspect using an automatic rifle.
Cuevas identified the wounded victims as Peter Espada, 41; Jeremone Retuta, 29; and Udsad Cossain, 55, all residents of the same village .The three sustained gunshot wounds are now being treated in South Cotabato provincial hospital in Koronadal City.
Police investigation showed that the victims were working together to repair a vehicle when the accident happened.
The suspects who wore masks hurriedly left the crime scene onboard a waiting sports-type motorcycle along with two other persons and was last seen proceeding towards the vicinity of Barangay Bentung.
Recovered at the scene were 12 fired 5.56 mm cartridge cases, which were sent to the South Cotabato police crime laboratory for ballistic and cross-matching examination.
Cuevas said their investigators are pursuing a number of angles, among them personal grudges, as the possible motives of the attack “We are digging deeper into this and we’re gathering the necessary information and evidence that could help solve the case,” he said in a report.
The police official said they are verifying possible conflict involving the families of the victims and circumstances involving their work.
One of them reportedly has a relative working as a barangay tanod and who was involved in previous campaigns against illegal activities in the area, he said.
Cuevas added that they provided security to the victims and their families in the wake of the continuing follow-up operations against the suspects.
