One dead in shooting incident

A 34-year-old passenger jeepney driver was killed while his drinking buddy was critically injured when a gun-toting neighbor allegedly shot them before dawn yesterday in Manila. Vincent Quibral, of 538 Perla St. in Tondo, was declared dead on arrival by attending doctors at the Mary Johnston Hospital while Aldrin Magno, 34, of Mejorada Street in Tondo, is undergoing treatment at the same medical facility for a bullet wound in the abdomen. Reports from the Manila Police District homicide section showed the incident happened at around 1:45 a.m. yesterday at the corner of Perla and Franco Streets. Quibral, Magno and several other friends were drinking to celebrate the start of the new year when their neighbor, Allan Pinlac, and a still unidentified companion arrived and suddenly fired at them with a .45 cal. pistol. Quibral and Magno were hit, the former sustaining three gunshot wounds. Pinlac and his accomplice immediately fled after the shooting while the victims were brought to the nearest hospital. Pinlac was later arrested in a follow-up operation by the police who said he was high on drugs when he shot the victims. Homicide investigators have not established a motive for the attack. Pinlac was detained at the MPD homicide section pending the filing of a murder charge against him while police operatives were still looking for his accomplice. Jeannette I. Andrade

DOJ files raps vs 5 traders

The Department of Justice has charged five owners of a stall in a Makati City mall for allegedly selling fake Portable PlayStation (PSP) gaming units and video game discs seven years ago. Charged at the Manila Regional Trial Court were Sally King and Loreto Lee, of 36-C CDC Street in La Loma, Quezon City; Susan Chua, of 601-E State Center Building on J. Luna Street, Binondo, Manila; and Johnny Nubla and Emilia Nubla, of 18 West Santiago St. Quezon City. The five were accused of unfair competition under Section 168 in relation to Section 170 of Republic Act No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines). The case was based on a complaint filed by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. which asked the National Bureau of Investigation for help in stopping the sale and distribution of fake PSP units. Tina G. Santos