Three on motorcycle shoot group of men, policemen
Three men on a yellow motorcycle opened fire at a group of men, including policemen, in front of the house of Ronda Mayor Esteban Sia in barangay Poblacion around
PO3 Juan Capacio, of Ronda Police Station, said that among those in the group that was attacked were patrolling policemen, PO3 Adolfo Alforte, PO2s Pepito Layage and Leopoldo Falcunit, and the mayor’s bodyguard PO1 Oliver Ortega.
They were talking outside the mayor’s house with civilians identified as Joy Paler, Juvy Tabotabo, Chris Recapuerte, Rolando Bucog, and Danilo Aguirre.
Ronda Police chief, Sr. Insp. Milo Dagasdas, in a telephone interview said the three policemen were on patrol in the area and stopped momentarily outside the mayor’s house where they had a talk with the five civilians standing there and Ortega, a member of the team detailed to secure the mayor.
While they were engaged in conversation, three unidentified men on a motorcycle without a plate number passed by and opened fire at the group, then sped off towards the direction of Dumanjug.
Cebu Provincial Police director, Sr. Supt. Carmelo Valmoria, said the shooting may have been in the direction of the mayor’s house but then it could not be ascertained yet if it had something to do with politics.
There were no bullet shells found from the scene and Valmoria suspected that the shooter might be using a low-caliber firearm like a revolver.
There were two versions on the response of the policemen to the attack. One from Dagasdas stated that the policemen were caught by surprise and were unable to react immediately or to return fire. They however gave chase using the town’s vehicle but failed to catch up with the assailants.
“Kalit kaayo ang pagpamusil sa ila. Nasurpresa gyud sila ug wala na sila maka-return fire kay mura man ug nagpataka nalang og pabuto,” Dagasdas said, adding that the motive of the attack could not be determined yet.
The other version was from Sia who got his facts from his security men. One of his security men saw and approached the perpetrators who were lurking at the marketplace, but the latter opened fire at the mayor’s men instead.
“Nagtuo ko nga nahadlok to sila rekisahon maong giunhan kining akong mga tawo,” said the mayor who was inside his house when the shooting took place.
He believed though that the attackers might be the same people who killed his bodyguard Orlando Olegario last November.
The mayor refuted Dagasdas’ statement, saying that one of his security men managed to return fire “blindly” because the perpetrators were already at a distance. He also received the next morning a report from an anonymous texter who said that one of the gunmen was hurt.
Sia said there are people in his town living in mountain barangays, carrying firearms — Armalite rifles, Carbines, and World War II Garand rifles— especially at night time and steal the livestock of the farmers who in turn have been afraid to complain.
Sia added that the night before the attack, one of his security men noticed a group of men heading towards his house but when his security men showed up to them, the group returned to the market area and signaled, seemingly, his men to come near them. It was found out later that this group was taunting another armed group on the other side of the road.
This is the second attack either directly or indirectly to municipal mayors in
The employee was identified as Celso Cuizon, 51, who is said to be the mayor’s ‘eyes and ears’ in the town suffered a graze wound to the right side of his face and is now safe.
Sia recently requested for additional policemen to be detailed in outposts of two mountain barangays, Malalay and Kinasang-an, to prevent this armed group from terrorizing the locals.
Valmoria reportedly turned down the mayor’s request but the mayor warned that if nothing happens to his request following these incidents he would report this to the president. “Dili ni komedya ang ako pag-request og polis,” Sia said. —Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE
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