Cop, airman shoot each other dead

What should have been a peaceful Maundy Thursday was marred by a shootout that claimed the lives of a policeman and a sergeant of the Philippine Air Force outside a videoke bar along Abella Street less than 50 meters from the barangay San Nicolas multi-purpose hall and a hundred meters from the police station.

Homicide investigators from the Cebu City Police Office identified the fatalities as PO2 Jessie Yramis, a member of the Miscellaneous Team of the San Nicolas police station and Sgt. Darwin Basico, a member of the Philippine Air Force assigned to the Benito Ebuen Airbase in Mactan Island and a resident of barangay Sawang Calero in this city.

The shootout took place outside 7E Antigua Restaurant and Videoke.

Homicide Section chief Insp. Mario Monilar said Yramis was responding to an armed person alarm inside the said establishment, this was confirmed by San Nicolas police station chief Supt. Marciano Batiancela Jr.

Monilar said they are still consolidating the testimonies of the two companions of Basico since they issued contradicting statements.

The initial investigation of PO3 Rogelio Nedamo revealed that Basico was in the videoke bar drinking with his neighbors Arnel Jurado, 34, and Renato Paon, 34. Later Basico’s wife, Ann Liezel arrived and asked him to come home. But he asked to finish the second bottle of beer they just bought.

Moments later, Yramis, in civilian attire, arrived and asked to frisk Basico but the airman reportedly refused to be frisked and insisted that he is a member of the PAF.

Jurado said at this instance, the wife of Basico angrily intervened prompting Yramis to confront her when he pointed at her Basico got mad and slapped his hand away and the policeman retaliated by punching him in the face.

But Paon said it was Basico’s wife who pointed at Yramis and the policeman slapped her hand away, angering Basico.

Monilar said after the argument between Yramis and Basico the two got into a shoving match and decided to take it outside. No one could say who among the two pulled the trigger first but shots were fired.

Yramis was hit in the right arm and left side of the chest while Basico was shot in the abdomen. Both were rushed to the hospital by different cars of the Mobile Patrol Group. Yramis was taken to the Chong Hua Hospital while Basico was rushed to Cebu City Medical Center, but both of them died a few minutes later.

Scene of the Crime Operation-7 led by SPO1 Reynaldo Ramos recovered the .38 cal. Smith & Wesson service revolver of Yramis which had six empty shells and the Remington .45 cal. service pistol of Basico which also had six empty shells.

Meanwhile, a man was stabbed dead while three women were robbed in separate incidents last Good Friday.

Arnulfo Torres, a vendor, died minutes after he was brought to CCMC after he was stabbed by two unidentified men who approached him and his live-in partner while they were heading home with a friend after selling from snacks at the Good Shepherd Seminary last Friday afternoon.

Torres’ live-in partner Arnelyn Ylaya, 19, said that while they were walking, the two suspects approached them and asked: "Kamo tong nangatang namo no?" right before attacking the victim with a knife.

Three women were also robbed while walking home after performing the Stations of the Cross at the Celestial Garden at Good Shepherd yesterday morning.

Based on the police report of the Guadalupe police station the three victims were identified as Marichel Cedenio 18, Marissa Marabella, 24 and Jovy Asumbrado, 24, all employees of JWB Hotel in barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City.

The victims reported they were heading home yesterday morning when two men came up from behind and pointed handgun at Marabella’s back before declaring a hold-up and taking her Nike bag.

The other man took the bags of her two other companions and both fled.

The victim further alleged that residents of the place witnessed the incident identified the two suspects as Nelson Belarmia and Sirlan Mojado were also residents of the area.

Despite these incidents, CPPO deputy police director Mariano Natuel assessed the Holy Week as generally peaceful.

Natuel added that most of the incidents the Mobile Patrol Group responded to were complaints of "tigbakay" or illegal cockfights.