Man nabbed in robbery, shooting of collector

A 36-year-old man was arrested in his house in barangay Guadalupe at about 3 p.m. yesterday, over three hours after he shot and robbed a female collector, of a purified water company, in an area near the provincial jail.

Guadalupe policemen, led by Insp. Miguelito Bondoc, after receiving report of the shooting and robbery went on a hot pursuit operation and caught the suspect, Richard Vicente, who was positively identified by the victim’s companion.

SPO1 Carlos Sillacay said the victim, 44-year-old Cayetane Habilis of Tuyan in Naga, was shot once in her lower left chest then robbed of her P900. She was taken to a private hospital in the city and had undergone operation already.

Habilis was with a certain Jimmy Plando on their way back to the city after collecting money from their customers when Vicente, who was drinking liquor with other men by the roadside, approached her and asked for money.

When Habilis refused, Vicente allegedly got angry and shot her, grabbed her bag and took P900 cash then fled from the scene.

Plando, who was in the delivery truck at the time, said he saw the incident and recognized the attacker.

“Giatangan ang babaye nga akong kauban ninaog man siya kay ni-backing man mi, nadunggan nalang namo ang buto; paglingi namo nakit-an pa nako nga gitiunan sa liog ang among kauban (Habilis) unya gikuha ang kwarta,” Plando said.

Jimmy Plando, in a telephone interview with The Freeman said he saw the suspect pointed his gun to Habilis’ neck after she fell on the road after getting shot once at the left lower chest.

The suspect, according to his sister, was once imprisoned in the national penitentiary for illegal possession of firearms and was released only last February 18.

He is now detained at the City Police and reporters could not get his side yet because he appeared to be drunk.  — Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE