3 men slain at police checkpoint: Dead identified; reward for cops

CEBU - Police have identified the three men, who were killed Sunday afternoon at a police checkpoint at M.J. Cuenco Ave., barangay San Roque, Cebu City.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who is currently on medical leave in the United States, is elated with the performance of the policemen and promised a cash reward for the team.

The three men refused to stop when flagged at a checkpoint and one of them, who was riding behind the driver, even pulled out a gun and fired prompting the police to retaliate.

The three were identified by relatives at the morgue of Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Nivel Hills.

SPO2 Rey Cuyos of the Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) identified the three dead as Abran Gabato, 28, single, and a resident of sitio Sandayong, Guadalupe; Wilner Ponce alias “Botong”, 31, of Lower Kalunasan, Guadalupe; and Totong Cabajar, of sitio Sandayong of the same barangay.

Gabato was reportedly the driver of the motorcycle with plate number GU1664.

The relatives of the fatalities, who the police believe were motorcycle robbers, said that they only learned of the incident from the media yesterday.

PO2 Michael Codaste of the Homicide Section said that the three sustained several gunshot wounds in their head and other parts of the body. Ponce was hit six times while both Gabato and Cabajar were hit four times.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Jr., CCPO director, said that the encounter between members of Task Group Motorcycle and the suspects was legitimate.

Comendador said that the incident could serve as an example for those traffic violators, who ignore checkpoints. He reminds people to stop to avoid getting harmed.

The city police director said that he and his men are very much willing to face investigation to erase doubts that there was a rubout.

Sr. Supt. Pablo Labra II, Deputy Director for Operations and head of the Task Group Motorcycle, was at the scene when the incident happened.

His team and another one led by Sr. Insp. George Ylanan took opposite sides of the street near the Cebu State College of Science and Technology (CSCST) campus.

Kin Of Victims

Cirila Gabato, Abran’s aunt, said that they told him not to ply his usual route as a motorcycle for hire driver that day since it was All Souls’ Day and the family was to visit their dead.

Abran, however, did not heed his family’s wish and left saying that he would not need to pay any rent for the motorcycle that day since he was using one owned by his younger sister Beth Zaida.

 She also said that her nephew had no police record although he was into some fights in their neighborhood and at one time was brought to the Guadalupe Police Station, but was not booked.

“Isog man gud na s’ya, maldito ba. Pero igo man lang na s’ya mag-laban-laban kung nay awayon ba. Siya mao’y mopalit og away kun adunay mag-away sa among silingan,” Cirila said.

When asked if her nephew really brought a firearm during the incident, Cirila said that she does not have any idea about that matter.

Ponce’s live-in partner, Nimfa Ramirez, 28, revealed that her common law husband has spent time at the Cebu City Jail for murder and drug cases.

Police Record

According to Sr. Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, based on the records of Theft and Robbery Section, Ponce was arrested last January 1999 by virtue of warrant for murder and double murder case issued by Judge Martin Ocampo of RTC branch 7.

Ponce however was acquitted and freed from jail last 2005 but he was again jailed the following year for illegal drugs, but managed to post bail.

It was also learned that somebody tried to shoot Ponce last January at A. Lopez St. The shooter was reportedly somebody who got irked when he was cheated in the sharing of proceeds from the illegal drugs trade.

Bastes said that records further show that Ponce is a notorious leader of Phi Omega Gamma, which has members in Guadalupe, Mandaue and Danao.

The members of the group allegedly are involved in various crimes like murder, homicide, robbery, break ins, and snatching.

Bastes said that the group has about 300 members and committing a crime is their form of initiation.

The police official said that among the crimes that have been tagged as handiwork of the group are the killings of Ryan Watin and other two youths at Maracas Lahug.

Sr. Insp. Mario Monilar, chief of the Homicide Section, said that the .357 and .38 caliber pistols recovered from the crime scene will undergo paraffin and ballistic tests.

Reward

Mayor Osmeña yesterday congratulated the group of policemen, who killed the three suspected robbers and promised a P150,000 reward.

A city councilor is also planning to sponsor a resolution to commend the team.

“Congrats! There is a reward, P150,000,” said Osmeña, who is still in Houston, Texas.

City officials headed by acting mayor Michael Rama have encouraged the policemen to conduct more checkpoints, because it is a way to counter the activities of the criminal elements.

For his part, police regional director Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos said the policemen were just doing their job by defending themselves.

“Ang maong hitabo mag-signal kini sa mga dautang elemento nga dili sila magbinuang kon pahunongon sila diha sa mga checkpoints,” one of the city councilors said. –/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)