Five persons were shot – three of them killed while the other two survived their wounds – by still unidentified assailants in separate incidents in Mandaluyong on Wednesday night, few days before Christmas Day.

All shooting incidents happened in neighboring villages in the city within a span of two hours, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.

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Almost simultaneously, two men were shot dead by four gunmen in their houses located in the same compound on Block 34, Barangay Addition Hills past 9 p.m.

A man in his 50s, identified by witnesses as Jehovah’s Witness minister Bobot Sarbida, was killed inside his house, while his neighbor, a certain Jepoy Pinasbo, was also shot dead by four men.

Roger Emanil, a barangay officer, said Sarbida was shot on reaching his house after hearing mass in a nearby chapel.

Neighbors said the assailants first attacked Pinasbo before going after Sarbida.

At 10:30 p.m., cigarette vendor Michael Desbaro, 39, was shot dead in the middle of A. Bonifacio Street in Barangay Hagdan Bato Libis.

Witnesses said Desparo was also shot by four men, this time riding motorcycles.

In an interview with reporters at the crime scene, Desbaro’s wife May Anne, 37, denied the claims of their neighbors that Michael was a known drug user.

“Hindi po talaga siya adik. Pero kahit naman hindi ko sabihing adik siya, sasabihing adik siya eh,” May Anne said.

(“He’s not an addict. But even if I deny he’s an addict, they will say he’s an addict.”)

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Asked what the attackers’ motive could be, May Anne said Michael’s stepfather, a Mandaluyong policeman who went absent without leave, has been threatening to kill his stepson.

The victim’s wife said it was not a far possibility that it was also members of the police who killed Michael.

Shortly before midnight, witnesses said at least 10 men in five motorcycles, all wearing bonnets and black jackets, chased 35-year-old woman identified as Annabel de la Cruz along Santo Rosario in Barangay Plainview.

Barangay officer Danilo Alabado told reporters that only two of the 10 men caught up with De la Cruz and shot her several times in the chest and lower limb.

De la Cruz was rushed to Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila, where she was in critical condition.

During the shooting, a 15-year-old girl sitting outside a store near the crime scene was hit by a stray bullet hit in her right leg.

Alabado said De la Cruz was a known “drug runner” in their area.

He added that Dela Cruz had previously surrendered to the police as part of Oplan Tokhang.

“Sumuko na rin siya noon pero hindi siya nagbago. Gano’n pa rin lakad niya,” he said.

(“She surrendered, but she didn’t change her ways. She still went on with what she had been doing.”)

According to Alabado, De la Cruz’s husband is currently detained at the Mandaluyong City Jail on a drug charge. /ATM

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