Trike driver shot dead in Minglanilla

A tricycle driver was shot dead while transporting passengers in barangay Lipata, Minglanilla town, southern Cebu last Sunday night.

Roberto Lastimosa of sitio Sto. Niño, barangay Tungkil, Minglanilla succumbed to a gunshot wound in the head.

Police said Lastimosa was headed to the national highway with two passengers on board.

When the tricycle reached a dark portion, a man on a motorcycle drove beside the driver then shot Lastimosa.

Out of fear, the two passengers jumped out and boarded another tricycle.

Lastimosa was rushed to the Minglanilla District Hospital where he was declared dead by attending physcians.

Two slugs and empty shell of a .9mm pistol were recovered in the crime scene.

SPO1 Renato Masangcay, investigator of the Minglanilla police station, said the incident could be a case of mistaken identity.

The wife of the victim told police that her husband had no known enemy in the barangay. He was a member of the Iglesia ni Kristo.

Investigators are checking if the victim argued with someone before the attack.

Police are also checking the possibility that the passengers were the target of the attack.

Police will coordinate with the Lipata Tungkil Drivers’ Association in the investigation./CORRESPONDENT GABRIEL C. BONJOC