Trader killed, 2 others critical in Butuan shooting incident

BUTUAN CITY- A wood trader was killed while two others are said to be in critic condition after a shooting incident inside a sawmill in Pangabugan village in this city near midnight Monday. The place where the shooting incident occurred is just few meters away the P2.2-B second Butuan Bridge now named Diosdado Macapagal Bridge where President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is scheduled to visit and do a walk over on the bridge named after her father this Tuesday afternoon. Initial police investigation showed that the three victims, all engaged in wood business here, were having a drinking spree inside the Tabinas sawmill owned by Joselito Tabinas at Purok Narra, Barangay Pangabugan this city. At the height of the drinking session, the three - Joselito Monton Tabinas, alias Dondon, owner of the sawmill; Christopher Perla Japitana, owner of the Japitana Sawmill; and Benny Casaña Jr - engaged in a heated argument over their businesses. Moments later, the three protagonists drew their respective handguns and started shooting at each other. Tabinas sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the body while Japitana sustained gunshot wound in his head and Casaña in his right shoulder that pierced to his ribs, police said. Tabinas was pronounced dead on arrival at MJ Santos Hospital here while the two were brought to Butuan Doctors Hospital for treatment. - Alvin Guanzon, GMANews.TV