By Rizal Obanil and Jonas Terrado - Manila Bulletin - July 26, 2008
A hired gun may have fired the shots that nearly killed Far Eastern University’s star forward Marnel Baracael Thursday night as he walked outside the school campus with two teammates after basketball practice.
Witnesses said the lone gunman casually walked away from the scene after firing at Baracael at close range and then coolly unhinged the silencer from what appeared to be a .45 caliber handgun, put it in a backpack and strolled towards Espana St.
Police are still trying to determine the motive behind the shooting and discounted, for the moment at least, that possible game-fixing, in which Baracael did not fulfill his part of the bargain, could be behind the shooting.
Reports of game-fixing have been swirling around the college basketball circuit and the UAAP has not been spared as several of its referees have been fined or suspended.
‘’Mahirap sabihin, kasi wala pa kaming ebidensiya. Yung game-fixing kasi nangyayari yun sa loob,’’ Superintendent Ricardo Layug, Station Commander of the Manila Police District (MPD)-Station 4 said in a phone interview.
Baracael is one of the stars of the FEU varsity team which currently has a 3-1 win loss record. Baracael scored 16 points in his team’s last game, a 70-65 win over University of Santo Tomas.
Baracael was rushed to the Mary Chiles Hospital on Gastambide St. beside University of the East, also in Sampaloc. Later that evening, he was transferred to the Capitol Medical Center apparently because the facilities there were better.
Layug said that it is hard for them to speculate, as their operatives are still interviewing possible witnesses and gathering more evidence.
Baracael, 23, was walking near the FEU campus in Morayta street in Sampaloc district in Manila at around 8:40 p.m. with fellow FEU players Ron Cabagnot and Robert Kave when a shot rang and Baracael fell to the ground.
The suspect was described by witnesses as about 5’1’’ tall, and wore a red T-shirt, short pants and slippers. He also carried a backpack.
Arnie Minique, a cigarette vendor, said she saw the suspect unhinge the silencer from the gun and placed it inside his backpack, before walking nonchalantly away from the scene.
Cabagnot and Kave were apparently not targets as they were spared. Both did not try to run after the suspect. Instead they hailed a pedicab and asked the driver to bring them to the nearest hospital which was Mary Chiles.
Baracael was reported to have been operated on at the Capitol Medical Center where he is presently confined.
A doctor who requested anonymity said Baracael is in stable condition and out of danger but he remains in the hospital’s intensive care unit or ICU.
"He had a gunshot wound that entered his upper back and exited through his lungs," the doctor said.
Investigation showed that the three FEU players were on their way home from their regular practice when they decided to buy food from a restaurant in front of their school.
Witnesses said that the suspect, possibly in his 20s, trailed the three players and then shot Baracael at close range.
Operatives of the MPD-Station 4 recovered two empty shells possibly from a .45 caliber pistol in front of a bank but only one bullet apparently hit the player.
Baracael, played with the Philippine College of Criminology and Burger King in the Philippine Basketball League.
UAAP commissioner Chito Narvasa and league secretary-treasurer Herc Callanta condemned the incident and refused to speculate on the motive.
"Speculation would not help anyone at this time," Narvasa said. "Besides this is already such an unfortunate incident."
"What happened to Mac Baracael is very unfortunate and should be condemned," said Callanta. "Any form of violence should be condemned specifically if the circumstances seem to point to it being senseless."
FEU coach Glen Capacio said they were shock by the incident.
"Sa ngayon talagang tulala pa ang team sa nangyari," Capacio said. "Maglalaro kami pero sa ngayon wala sa isip namin ang basketball ngayon."
Capacio said that he was having dinner with his coaching staff near the school’s gymnasium after practice when the incident happened.
"Kumakain kami ng mga coaching staff nun after praktis tapos nung nalaman namin ang nangyari, tumakbo kami papunta sa lugar," he added.
Capacio and school officials have imposed a news embargo and turned down requests to talk to Cabagnot and Kave who were reported to be still in shock.
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