CEBU, Philippines — Hours after the crime, one of the suspects in the shooting in Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City last Monday morning surrendered to the police.

Abellana Police Station chief Eduard Sanchez said Vincent Navales turned himself over to authorities at 7 p.m. last Monday with the help of a relative in the police force.

From the police station, Navales had to be brought to the hospital owing to a bullet that got stuck in his leg. As of yesterday, he was still confined there.

Navales is the brother of Vanzant Navales, one of those killed in the shooting. It was Navales who shot to death Shaun Bacaltos, the brother of Vanzant’s erstwhile friend, Michael Vincent.

It was outside the Bacaltos residence in Sambag 1 where a confrontation and subsequent shooting happened.

Sanchez said murder charges will be filed against Navales today. The police are looking for the firearm used in the shooting, as well as the Navales’ brothers’ three friends who went with them to the Bacaltos residence and witnessed the crime.

The Navales brothers and their three friends went to Edwin’s house on J. Alcantara Street in Barangay Sambag 1 early morning Monday, armed with a KG-9 firearm.

There, Vanzant reportedly figured in an argument with Bacaltos’ father, Edwin, which prompted the latter to pull his .9mm firearm out and shoot Vanzant several times.

After Vanzant fell to the ground, Michael Vincent allegedly took Vanzant’s gun and finished the victim off.

Seeing what happened, Navales stepped in and shot Shaun.

Shaun did not make it alive to the hospital.

Police are eyeing a love triangle as a motive in the killings and the conflict between Vanzant and Michael Vincent.

Sanchez said earlier the two ended their five-year friendship after they found out they fell in love with the same woman.

Their feud reportedly lasted several years, which affected their families, which prompted the barangay to call them to a conference in an attempt to settle the dispute. The two did not appear.

The Bacaltos family reportedly tried to make peace with the Navales family to no avail. Michael Vincent will be charged with homicide. He admitted the crime in defense of his family. — JMO (FREEMAN)