INFANTA, Quezon – Four people were killed while two others, including a village chief, were wounded when a lone gunman shot them at a wake in Sitio Irrigation, Barangay Ilog, this town, Wednesday night.
Police identified the fatalities as Herman Cuento, 70; Leon Cuento, 73; Manuel Cuerdo, 41, chief barangay tanod; and Michael Cuento, 50, a Small Town Lottery manager, all residents of Barangay Ilog.
The four died from gunshot wounds while being rushed to Claro M. Recto Memorial District Hospital.
The wounded — Maximo Cuento, 65, an LGU employee; and Napoleon Miras, 68, village chief of Barangay Poblacion 1, also this town — sustained minor wounds and are now in stable condition, according to Police Col. Osmundo de Guzman, director of Quezon Provincial Police Office (QPPO).
Police report showed that the victims were attending a wake of their neighbor at 8:45 p.m. when an unidentified man arrived and without any words shot Michael, apparently the primary target of the suspect.
As Michael fell on the ground, the gunman shot him again several times. The other victims were hit by stray bullets, police said.
The suspect fled on board a motorcycle after the shooting.
De Guzman said Michael worked in Infanta as a driver assigned to the office of the mayor. Based on records, he luckily survived an ambush during election period sometime in 2016.
Also, police investigators are trying to determine if the killing was related to his quarry operation business or his being a manager of the local STL. (Danny Estacio)
