Gunmen kill 2 in Davao Oriental

TAGUM CITY-Two persons, including an employee of a government-run hospital were killed after being shot by unidentified gunmen in Mati City on Thursday.

The police said Friday that the 7 p.m. killing of Richard Lubiano and Jerry Mata in Barangay Central in Mati City could be drug-related.

Senior Supt. Harry Espela, Davao Oriental police chief, said the victims were on a motorbike being driven by Mata when attacked in Sitio Sudlon.

Supt. Adolfo Eyan, Mati City police chief, said the assailants and Lubiano engaged in a shouting match before gunshots rang.

Lubiano, who worked as a civil security unit (CSU) member of the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center (DOPMC), was able to engage the suspects in a brief gunfight but got hit as he attempted to flee on foot.

The wounded Mata on the other hand lost control of the motorcycle, which fell into a roadside ditch.

Both victims died at the scene of incident, police said.

Police recovered from the victims drug paraphernalia as well as a holster of Lubiano’s weapon, Eyan told the Inquirer by phone.

While the victims were not on the police drugs watch list, Eyan said the killings appeared to be drug-related.

The police chief said Sudlon, the area where the victims originated, was a known drugs lair, where police had carried out numerous drugs operations.

Eyan said Lubiano had also been a police asset in previous anti-drugs operations that yielded positive results.

Wednesday’s shooting came days after drug suspect Abdul Jalil Macabuat and his wife, Jamaica, were gunned down outside a vocational school in Barangay Sainz in Mati City after an apparent argument with their assailants.

Eyan said since he assumed the post of Mati City police chief in July, at least 10 drugs-related killings had already been recorded in the city.

He said while some of the drug-related deaths were from police operations, majority of the deaths was the result of infighting among drug gang members, which normally takes place after major anti-drugs raids.

“We have to draw up plans on how to neutralize these armed drug gangs and guns-for-hire,” Eyan said.