Three people died and another is critically hurt in an ambush shortly after two inmates got out of the Cebu City Jail late yesterday afternoon.
Two of the fatalities were suspected swindlers while the third was the wife of one those killed.
They were on board a van traveling uphill in Unit 5, sitio Oprra, barangay Kalunasan yesterday when waylaid.
Police identified the two inmates as Medase Castro, 44, of barangay Mantuyong Mandaue City and Mias Magno, 45, of Capt. V. Roa Street Cagayan de Oro City. They had just been released on bail after their arrest last Thursday on allegations of swindling.
Also killed was Mias’ wife Evelyn, 41.
The driver of the van was identified as Sgt. Henry Comandao based on an AFP Savings and Loans Inc. ID that was in his possession. He is reportedly from barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City.
He is now confined at the Perpetual Succour Hospital and is in critical condition.
Castro and Mias Magno were identified through the copies of their release papers.
SPO1 Geoffrey Gutual of the Homicide Section said Castro was released around 4:28 p.m. while Mias followed at 5:15 p.m.
Mias reportedly posted a P20,000 bail for his temporary liberty granted by RTC executive judge Fortunato de Gracia.
According to unconfirmed reports received by the Homicide Section, there were three assailants on board two motorcycles.
The three gunmen reportedly caught up with the white Hyundai van with plate number GPZ-457 while it was negotiating the uphill road of the said place.
SPO1 Jesus Roxas, a member of the 703rd Provincial Mobile Group who lives nearby, told reporters that one of his neighbors told him that somebody had been shot along the road prompting him to check.
Roxas said he heard gunshots, but when he arrived at the scene he did not see anybody around except for the parked van with the people in it.
“Pag-abot nako diri mao na na siya ang posisyon anang van, wala koy laing nakit-an,” Roxas said.
Evelyn was already dead face down in the front seat while Mias was face down on the floor on the rear portion of the van.
Roxas immediately asked his neighbors to call for ambulances after seeing that Comandao was still moving and Castro was still alive.
They were rushed to the hospital but Castro died along the way.
Castro and Mias were arrested by the police last Thursday afternoon. Mias was arrested first after one of his victims remembered him as the one who duped her of P300,000 worth of jewelry and hundreds of dollars and cash.
Castro was arrested for trying to bribe the police and one of their victims for the release of Mias.
The two were said to be members of a swindling gang from Davao City that operates here.
When Mias was brought to the Waterfront Police Station he reportedly asked the police not to call other victims. He allegedly asked the police to let him go and offered P50,000 cash for the police and P100,000 for the victim who arrested him.
An entrapment operation was immediately conducted which led to the arrest of Castro who was bringing the money.
Theft and Robbery Section chief Sr. Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes said it cannot be avoided that the killing might be perceived as the handiwork of the police, but with the number of people the two have victimized it is also possible it was a revenge killing.
Bastes also said, they received reports Mias is not in good terms with his alleged swindling gang.
Bastes said he saw that the cellphone of Magno had a message with “threatening words” from the other members of the group because of the differences in the division of their loot.
But the SIM card of his cellphone is now allegedly in possession of one of his victims, who took his phone after his arrest.
Police are now asking this person to give the SIM card back.
Last May 7, robbery suspect Ricolly Igoy, of barangay Soong Dos, Lapu-Lapu City, was gunned down few minutes after posting bail out of Carcar City Jail.
Igoy was shot and wounded by Carcar policemen after he and his companion Nelson Gutierrez robbed the Rural Bank of Cebu Inc. in barangay Poblacion Dos in Carcar last April 28, Gutierrez died in the shootout.
Igoy was charged for robbery and posted bail, but while he and his family were on their way back to Lapu-Lapu City onboard two separate vehicles two unidentified men on board a motorcycle caught up with them in the traffic stop light at barangay Pakigne, Minglanilla, and shot at them, killing Igoy and his cousin Ronaldo Enario. /BRP