Frustrated murder filed against 2 ex-convicts

CEBU, Philippines – The brother and nephew of barangay Carreta captain Eduardo Lauron have filed charges against the two men who shot each other over and eventually hit them the other morning in sitio Sto. Niño, barangay Carreta, Cebu City.

Eduardo’s brother Natalio, 36, and nephew Romulo Ligan, 45, will file frustrated murder charges against Dindo Ancero, 30, and Ronnie Lape, 30, respectively, after they were injured when the two shot it out.

Cebu City Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador said that an illegal drug transaction is currently being studied as motive of the shooting between Ancero and Lape who are now in jail.

Comendador said he has already ordered the Homicide Section and the Theft and Robbery Section to gather more information regarding the incident.

He also said Police Regional Office-7 director Lani-O Nerez instructed them to verify with Camp Crame as to why Ancero has a license and permit to carry a .45 cal. pistol both dated February 10, 2009.

The investigation will include identifying the policeman who could have processed the papers of Ancero, who is suspected of participating in several high-profile robberies in the city, including the October 2006 heist on A1 Micro Finance Inc. and Asialink Finance Corp.

Comendador said that the said license permit and permit to carry card of Ancero is questionable as it is impossible for an ex-convict to carry a licensed firearm. He, however, said there are still no warrants of arrest issued against Ancero.

Investigator Geoffrey Gutual of the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section said Ancero told them that he arrived in the said place onboard a motorcycle looking for spare parts and dropped by a store to buy load for his cellphone.

Ligan was there and greeted Ancero as they were once both inmates of the city jail. As they were chatting, Lape arrived and without provocation allegedly shot Ancero with an improvised shotgun hitting him in the chest and Ligan in the left shoulder.

Ancero was still able to fire back at Lape twice, hitting the latter in the right hand and the left portion of the body. Natalio was also hit in the abdomen as he was about to leave on a motorcycle.

Jun Mabuti, chairman of the justice committee of barangay Carreta, said that they are not remiss in their duties as barangay officials as they have upheld various campaigns against gangs and the illegal drug trade.

“Dili lang gyod ni malikayan nga naa gihapo’y mamembro sa gang kay tungod sa kadaghang urban poor nga namuyo sa among dapit. Ug ang usa sab mao ang lisod pugngan nga drogas,” Mabuti said. — Nina G. Sumacot and Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/BRP (THE FREEMAN)