CEBU CITY — A 40-year-old woman was shot dead on Tuesday evening while playing a mobile game in Barangay Guadalupe here.The incident occurred near an internet café in Sitio Kasagingan, where the victim was sitting to get a better signal on her phone.The victim was identified as Babylyn Baclayon Gabutan. CCTV footage captured the shocking moment when two suspects, wearing jackets and caps, approached Gabutan.One of the men checked her face before the other suspect, standing behind her, pulled out a gun and shot her in the head. The suspects immediately fled the scene, leaving Gabutan dead on the spot.Two children playing nearby at the internet café witnessed the crime.The two suspects, Eduard 'Ace' Tabuada and Rolly Parba Canta, were identified through CCTV footage and statements from witnesses.They were arrested in Barangay Tisa during a police manhunt early the next morning.Authorities recovered the clothing the suspects were wearing during the shooting, though the firearm, a .45 caliber pistol, has not been found, as the suspects claimed to have discarded it during their escape.Initial investigations point to possible drug-related motives behind the killing, though other angles are still being explored.Guadalupe Police Station chief Maj. Miles Damoslog noted that while the suspects have confessed to the shooting, they have not revealed who ordered the crime, hinting at deeper involvement.Damoslog said that the investigation remains ongoing as the police dig into both the suspects' and the victim's backgrounds.According to Gabutan's family, rumors had circulated that she was mistakenly identified as a police informant, possibly due to her being labeled as a 'police asset' by some neighbors.Her sister recounted how Gabutan had previously brushed off these claims, urging her family not to believe the rumors.Gabutan's mother, Neri, also mentioned that her daughter had received threats before the incident and is now calling for justice for her daughter's death.
