Victims in Cebu shooting brought to hospital; suspect in police custody

CEBU DAILY NEWS PHOTO/Christian Maningo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Chinese Consul General Song Ronghua and two of his staff members, who were wounded in a shooting incident inside a restaurant here, Wednesday, have been brought to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the suspect identified as Li Qing Liang, was already in police custody, according to Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of Cebu City’s Command Center.

The consul general and his staff members, Sun Shan and Hui Li, were among the nine persons who had lunch at one of the function rooms of Lighthouse Restaurant  along General Maxilom Avenue.

Tumulak said he received a call from the Chinese Consulate Office shortly after the shooting incident broke about 1:30 p.m. to verify reports on Ronghua.

Some members of the Chinese community in Cebu had been calling other city officials to verify reports on the shooting, he added.

“It’s sad that the incident happened in the city especially during a time when Mayor Michael Rama is out of town,”  said Tumulak. Rama is on official travel to Japan.

Homicide investigators were still trying to find out what triggered the shooting, said  Cebu Sr. Supt. Mariano Batiancela, City Police Office director.

Batiancela  said he could not yet give details as to the circumstances of the incident since his men are still in the area.

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