Lawyer’s wife, 2 others killed in Cebu City ambush

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Three persons, including the wife of a lawyer here, were killed in an ambush on Wednesday at the South Coastal Road in Barangay (village) Cansojong, Talisay City, southern Cebu.

The fatalities were identified as Virginia Sesbrenio, 65, and wife of lawyer Raul Sesbrenio, and her companions Soledad Epanto and Joshua Young.

Police said the killing might have been related to the ongoing demolition of structures on the lot claimed by the Sesbrenios in Barangay Lawaan, Talisay, about 12 kilometers south of Cebu City.

Investigators believed that Raul might have been the target of the ambush and not his wife since both came from the demolition site before the killing happened, said Inspector Ricardo Echavez of the Talisay police.

Raul went to the police station on Wednesday morning and asked that a team of policemen be deployed to the demolition site to maintain the peace.

Echavez and four other policemen went to demolition site and witnessed the Sesbrenios and the affected residents heatedly arguing.

He said Raul later boarded the white Isuzu pickup with Virginia, Epanto and Young, who owned the vehicle.

The lawyer asked Young, who drove the pickup, to drop him off at their house in Barangay Pungsod Lawaan III, which was just a few meters from the demolition site.

Raul went home while his wife and friends proceeded to Cebu City through the South Coastal Road.

But upon reaching the corner of R. Rabaya Street and South Coastal Road, a motorcycle with two men on board drove alongside the pickup. The passenger of the motorcycle then fired at the pickup before the motorcycle sped toward Cebu City.

Mrs. Sesbrenio, Epanto and Young suffered several gunshot wounds in the chest. They were brought to the Talisay District Hospital where physicians pronounced them dead on arrival.—With a report from Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas