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7 dead,11 wounded in Cavite shooting rampage; gunman killed


(Updated 11:50 p.m.) Seven people, including two children and a pregnant woman, were killed when a man who was believed to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol went on a shooting rampage in Kawit town in Cavite province early Friday, local police said. Eleven people were also wounded in the massacre at Barangay Tabon 1, according to Cavite provincial police deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Dionisio Borromeo. The gunman, Ronald Bae, was killed by responding policemen, Borromeo said. Bae's alleged cohort, John Paul Lopez, surrendered to the police Friday night, according to Senior Superintendent Alexander Rafael, chief of the Cavite provincial police. A report on GMA News' "24 Oras" quoted witnesses as saying they saw Lopez help Bae load  his weapon —a cal-.45 pistol— every time it ran out of ammunition. Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla has earlier offered a P100,000 reward for Lopez's arrest. Palace condemns
Malacañang condemned the shooting, saying it will fuel the fight against unlicensed firearms in the country.
 
“Unang-una, kinokondena po natin ‘yung nangyari, especially [since] may mga bata po na nabiktima,” said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte. “As of the moment, what we can say is that this incident will certainly fuel the efforts of the PNP (Philippine National Police) into their drive against loose firearms.”  
Borromeo identified seven of the victims in Cavite as:
  • Alberto Fernandez
  • Micaela Caimol, 7
  • Boyet Toledo, taho vendor
  • Irene Cuelas, 38, fruit vendor
  • Jan May de Vera, 3
  • Rhea de Vera, 34
  • Ann Orio, 30
The injured were brought to St. Dominic Hospital in Bacoor and St. Martin Maternity and Pediatric Hospital in Noveleta, both in Cavite, according to the “24 Oras” report. Remulla said he has assured the families of the victims that the provincial government would shoulder their hospital and funeral expenses. Borromeo said they found drug paraphernalia, ammunition, and an expired license for an M-16 rifle in Bae's house. "Bossing" The "24 Oras" report said initial information indicated that Bae has moved to Pampanga two years ago and has seldom been seen in Kawit until he returned for the New Year. He reportedly spent the previous night drinking heavily due to family problems. “Ang balita nag-away ‘yung mag-asawa kaya ito umuwi rito (sa Kawit)… meron siyang naging problema sa pamilya at na-depress siya. During the holiday season kasi hindi niya kasama ‘yung pamilya niya at kagabi pa lang daw nagsimula na siyang uminom ng alak,” Borromeo said on "24 Oras." The report said Bae—called 'bossing' by his neighbors—ran for village chairman in the last barangay elections but lost. Among those Bae shot with a cal-.45 pistol were his own godchildren and a woman, according to a dzBB report. Investigators recovered the pistol after the carnage. Delayed police response? In his report on "24 Oras," GMA News' Ian Cruz said the police admitted that they were not able to respond immediately because no one reported the incident to them. Remulla said he is looking into reports that the local police had received complaints about Bae as early as Wednesday but did not act on them. "January 2 pa lang, may complaint na sa pulis. Nagpapaputok na [pero] walang nag-aksyon na pulis," he said. Remulla added that information reaching him indicated the police did nothing about additional complaints on Thursday. "January 4, lumabas ng bahay at nag-amok na," he said. Borromeo said that they will investigate these reports. “Actually, iimbestigahan din naman ‘yan. Hahanapin namin kung sino ‘yung nag-report at kung sino ‘yung nakatanggap ng report at kung bakit hindi nagreponde,” he told GMA News Online in a separate phone interview. — Rouchelle Dinglasan and Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK/YA/ELR, GMA News
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