Wanted man shields self with partner and child

A man who has a standing warrant of arrest escaped from authorities after using his live-in partner and their child as human shields in sitio Soong, barangay Tapilon, Daanbantayan town, last Monday dawn.

Daanbantayan policemen led by SPO2 Nero Mansanarez and Barangay Intelligence Network members proceeded to the said place to arrest Celso Arribado who has a warrant for homicide after they learned he was there.

When the policemen ordered Arribado to go out of the house he grabbed his live-in partner and their child and used them as cover before he fired at the policemen and escaped.

Police were only able to recover his gun, which was already emptied of bullets when found.

One of the responding policemen, SPO1 Cesar Carlos Alburo said they were hesitant to follow Arribado into the darkness because they were told he might also be armed with a hand grenade.

He also said Arribado is in the town's list of 10 most wanted men. The last time the law almost caught up with Arribado was in 2004 when he and SPO2 Vicente Inot exchanged fire when policeman came to arrest him for the same offense.

The police are now filing another case against the suspect for illegal possession of firearms.

Meanwhile, a mother and her one-year-old son were found dead yesterday morning at the bottom of a shallow well in barangay Lingigon, Argao town.

The bodies of Concordia Barangan, 35, and his son Alejandre Jr., were already in an advanced state of decomposition when found by her cousin Astantino Imbudo.

Initial police investigation revealed that Concordia and her husband had an argument over unknown reasons. Later on her husband left the house and Concordia also left some time later with their son.

PO2 Jojit Abah yesterday said that the latter's relatives did not bother to look after her since they believed that she went after her husband whose hometown is in Carcar, but until yesterday she did not return home.

Abah said Imbudo found the bodies after a foul odor led him to the well.

Abah further said Concordia suffered from a mental disorder long before she got married and that she was once brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for a checkup since she was noticed talking to herself.

The relatives of the two decided to forego autopsy as they were convinced she committed suicide and took her son with her. - Norvie S. Misa