Shootout angle eyed in Minglanilla killings

The Minglanilla Police is now looking into the possibility that a shoot-out occurred before the Tunghaan councilman and his cousin, a former tanod, were killed.

Minglanilla Police chief, Insp. Charles Reyes Jr., yesterday said the shoot-out angle is being considered in their investigation after reports of "misunderstanding" between the victims and the suspect happened first before the killings.

Reyes did not elaborate but admitted to The Freeman, in an interview, that his men are still gathering testimonies from witnesses that might buttress this latest angle of the incident.

But those witnesses from the victims' families would not execute yet their affidavits until after the interment, said Reyes.

As of yesterday, Reyes said the identified suspect is still June Makaantal, the driver of the Hyundai Starex van that tanods had stopped when it passed sitio Abuno of Tunghaan, shortly before the killings.

Meanwhile, Cebu Provincial Police Office director, Supt. Vicente Loot, also said the case could not be filed as yet until after all the needed affidavits from the witnesses are gathered.

Councilman Gilbert Cañares and his first-degree cousin Antonio Cañares sustained one gunshot each when shot to death during the fiesta celebration in sitio Abuno of Tunghaan last October 30. - Gregg M. Rubio