CEBU, Philippines – Several police teams swooped down on the suspects in the killing of Assistant City Prosecutor Patrick Ian Osorio about five months after he was ambushed. Police arrested 31-year-old Allan Sinogat, deputy chief tanod of barangay Maghaway, Talisay City around 4 a.m. yesterday inside at his residence in the said barangay.
Sinogat was arrested along with four other men in simultaneous raids conducted by joint elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7), Regional Mobile Group (RMG-7) and Regional Intelligence Division (RID-7).
He was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Soliver Peras of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10 for possessing unlicensed firearms such as a Colt .45 pistol and a home-made shotgun.
Police also found a magazine for the caliber .45 pistol as well as 17 rounds of live ammunition and three rounds of ammunition for the shotgun. The others arrested were identified as Felix Abacahan, Sr., 54; his son Felix, Jr., 29, a tanod; Susano Labrador, 45, also a tanod; and chief tanod Florencio Labrador, 51.
A colt .45 pistol, .22 magnum, 15 live ammunition, and two magazines for the .45 pistol were also recovered from Abacahan Sr’s house.
Authorities also seized a .357 revolver, six live ammunition, and two caliber .22 rifles inside the house of Abacahan, Jr.
Another .45 pistol, a magazine and seven live ammunition were recovered from Susano Labrador’s house while Florencio Labrador’s house yielded a caliber .30 carbine, a home-made shotgun, magazines and ammunition.
Sr. Supt. Ramon Rafael, CIDG-7 Chief, said that the seized guns will be submitted to the PNP Crime Laboratory for ballistic and cross-matching examination to check if these guns were used in some high profile cases.
Rafael said that prior to the operation, residents of Maghaway informed the unit regarding a group of armed men roaming in the said barangay.
Acting on the reports, Rafael directed his men to verify the information and found out that these men are suspects in some killing incidents in Cebu City.
It took almost two weeks of surveillance to pinpoint the exact locations or safe houses and the activities of the group until the search warrants were applied.
Aside from Sinogat, Lyndon Horandoy was also charged for murder before the prosecutor’s office after they were identified by witnesses as the ones who shot and killed the 36-year-old fiscal.
The charges were filed last April 16, three months after Osorio was killed, and are still pending before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
Osorio was driving his car on Maria Gochan Street in brgy. Mambaling, Cebu City on his way home to Minglanilla in the afternoon of January 6 when he was ambushed.
The suspects were reportedly identified by a seaman who was standing at the bakeshop near the place.
Sinogat and the other four men arrested were reportedly involved in gun-for-hire activities but further confirmation will still be made.
Sinogat, Susano Labrador, and Abacahan, Jr. were also allegedly involved in the killing of Maghaway barangay councilman Pedro Delvo last May 29 a day before the fiesta celebration.
Killed in the bloodbath were Delvo, 51, a member of an indigenous group called Aliamong; Junifer Villacencio, Jr., 24; Melchor Tabay, 19; and Alex Murallos, Delvo’s son-in-law.
Supt. Henry Biñas, chief of the Talisay City Police, said that charges for double murder were filed against Abacahan, Jr., Sinogat, and Susano Labrador last June 8.
Rafael said that the involvement of the four barangay tanods in the crime could be a ground to remove them from service.
He said he will coordinate with the Cebu City Police Office regarding the matter.
Meanwhile, CCPO Director Patrocinio Comendador said he will not confirm nor deny that Sinogat is really one of the suspects who killed Osorio as the case is still pending in court.
Sinogat admitted owning the unlicensed guns as he allegedly uses them as protection for his self following the death of Delvo and his companions.
He, however, strongly denied involvement in the murder of Osorio.
He alleged that he was taking care of his two children when the incident happened as his live-in partner, Ellen Dicdican, was with a relative buying a ticket for Manila.
“Di sila makakab-ot sa hustisya kung ako ilang ipa-rpiso kay dili man ako ang mamumuno,” Sinogat said.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña congratulated the police for a job well done, but said he would want to know more of the motive and the mastermind.
“A fiscal who got killed is probably because of his job, so they have to catch the mastermind and not just the killer,” Osmeña said. —With Ferliza C. Contratista/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)