Fugitive from Quezon City arrested at Cebu terminal

A man wanted for murder in Quezon City and who has been in hiding since last year, was caught by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 at the Cebu South Bus Terminal yesterday morning.

Gilbert Cortez, an 18-year-old resident of Holy Spirit in Quezon City, failed to elude the CIDG-7 policemen, led by PO2 Angelito Yaon, who had a warrant of arrest issued by the RTC-Quezon City.

An informant earlier told the police that Cortez has been seen frequenting the terminal and this prompted the authorities to check and, finally, to arrest the fugitive.

Cortez, when interviewed by The Freeman, admitted killing a man last November 24, but he insisted that it was out of self-defense. He said he did not even know the man then.

His story was that the man he killed was with a group that attacked their barangay and harassed the residents for undetermined reason. He said the group were armed and attacked all bystanders in the place.

Cortez narrated that when the man came and attacked him with a knife, he ducked then shoved the man away but, to his surprise, the man accidentally stabbed himself to the chest and died.

Upon learning later that the man he “accidentally killed” had several relatives in the police force, Cortez said he immediately escaped to Cebu City where he had since lived with his relatives in barangay Labangon. 

He said he planned before to surrender to the authorities but decided to forego and go into hiding instead because of fear for his life and that he lack the money to hire a competent lawyer to defend him. —Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE