Three wounded in Oton shooting

By: Jennifer P. Rendon 

Three persons were wounded in a shooting incident early morning of Jan. 3, 2020 in Oton, Iloilo.

The victims were identified as Joherm Montelebano, 39; Ricky Herba, 50, and John Andalajao, 39, all residents of Barangay San Nicolas, Oton.

Police Major Gervinson Moyo, Oton police chief, said the victims are expected to survive.

Moyo said the incident happened around 1:00 a.m. Friday, after one of the two suspects, Lito Estribor, had a fight with his wife.

Estribor, 42, the victims’ neighbor at San Nicolas village, went out of their house and began shouting.

Consequently, John’s brother, 29-year-old Renan Andalajao, went out to check on his game fowls.

Renan claimed that Estribor, armed with an ice pick, challenged him to a fight. He quickly went inside their compound and told his relatives about what happened. One of the relatives then picked up a steel pipe and prepared to defend themselves.

But before any physical confrontation happened between them and Estribor, the latter’s friend Danny Colobong, arrived.

Colobong allegedly fired his gun four times and hit the three victims.

John suffered gunshot wounds on his back and shoulder, Herba on his left finger, and Montelebano on his abdomen.

They were all taken to Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

The two suspects, Colobong and Estribor were immediately arrested after the incident.

A caliber .45 pistol was also seized.

Moyo said Colobong will be charged for three counts of frustrated homicide.

Estribor, on the other hand, will be charged for alarm and scandal and grave threats.