Child shot down in spat between uncle, grandpa

A DREAM to become a policeman ended for 6-year-old John Orchez Orbiso at his home last Sunday.

The boy was accidentally shot in the chest during a quarrel between his grandfather and an uncle in sitio Puso, barangay Poblacion, Cordova town.

John , a grade 1 pupil,  died soon after arriving at the  Lapu-Lapu City district hospital.

His  30-year-old uncle Ramil Sanchez sustained several gunshot wounds in the body.

The firearm belonged to the boy’s  48-year-old grandfather Tito Sanchez, who was drunk when he got into a fight with Ramil.

SPO1 Henry Amores of the Cordova police said the two men had a long-standing grudge against each other.

Tito’s wife stood as a witness in an oral defamation case filed by their neighbor against Ramil several years ago.

From then on, Ramil and Tito reportedly threatened each other everytime they met.

Things came to a head at 5:45 p.m last Sunday, when a drunken Tito arrived at a store and challenged Ramil to a fistfight.

Ramil warned Tito not to use a gun but the grandfather instead pulled out a 9mm gun and fired a warning shot.

Ramil tried to grab the gun from Tito’s hand which resulted in  three gunshots that hit him on his stomach, the right side of his chest and his buttocks. All children, except Orbiso, ran away.

Ramil’s cousin, Melanie Varum, who witnessed the incident, said they no longer noticed the child due to fear and only learned about John  when he shouted for help.

“He shouted Mama, help me,” Varum told Cebu Daily News.

SPO1 Hajir Hajan broke up the fight between the two men and grabbed the 9mm gun. Tito was turned over to the Cordova police.

John’s  elder brother Reynaldo, who was at their house when the incident happened, said his younger brother was the curious type who stayed to watch rather than leave.

“He wanted to see what happened. That’s probably why he didn’t run when the shots were fired,” Reynaldo said.

John,  the sixth of seven children, was an  academic achiever of the family.

His 13-year-old sister Rosemarie cried while opening his notebooks which showed perfect scores in every exam and assignment of the Grade 1 pupil of Cordova Elementary Central School.

Rosemarie said her younger brother was an honor pupil when he graduated in kindergarten.

“He always told  me he would study hard because he wanted to become a policeman so he could help poor people,” she said.

Reynaldo said his younger brother asked him to buy a toy gun for tomorrow’s fiesta celebration.

His grandfather expressed remorse and said he would face any case filed against him.

“I wanted to discipline Ramil because he always threatened me. I was drunk at the time and because of my anger I pointed the gun at him,” Tito said.

He said his 9mm is licensed and was used to protect his chicken farm.

SPO1 Amores said reckless imprudence resulting to homicide and frustrated homicide will be filed against Tito.

Orbiso’s wake is held at their home and he will be buried this Saturday.

Ramil was transferred from the Lapu-Lapu City district hospital to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. /Fe Marie Dumaboc, Correspondent with a report from Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza