Police to form task force vs. armed groups

CEBU, Philippines - Police Regional Office-7 director Lani-o Nerez yesterday said they will be creating a task force that would go after private armed men, following the recent killing of suspected “hitman” Ronil “Tata” Wagas, who was accused of shooting to death a policeman at the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge more than a year ago.

Wagas, 23, an alleged member of Tau Gamma Phi fraternity, was killed when he shot and lobbed a grenade at the policemen while the latter were trying to serve a warrant of arrest against him for killing PO2 Jose Clint Cañete. 

Nerez revealed that based on information that they received, Wagas, a resident of Barangay Mulao, Compostela, belongs to a “gun for hire” group which has allegedly more than two members.

 Meanwhile, Dr. Nestor Sator, PNP medico-legal officer, said that based on the result of the autopsy, Wagas sustained nine entrance gunshot wounds, one each in his both arms, one on upper right shoulder and on the body, three on both legs and two fatal gunshot wounds on the head.

Sator said that during survival situation, the first priority of the police officers is their safety. It falls under self defense.

“It will depend on the situation. If the victim does not have with him a deadly weapon, it may not result to the said incident,” said Satur.

Before the autopsy, the police have also conducted a paraffin test on Wagas to determine if had indeed fired his gun at the authorities, the result of which will be available today.            

Wagas was a suspect in the killing of Cañete, an anti-narcotics policeman on October 21, 2008 at the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.

He was killed last Thursday after he allegedly fought off police officers from the Provincial Intelligence Branch, Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (Raidsotf) and the Mandaue City Police Office who were serving a warrant of arrest against him.

Initial reports stated that the shootout happened in the mountain barangay of Tag-ubi, Compostela, some 20 kilometers from the town proper and about 18 kilometers from the highway.

Armed with an arrest warrant for murder issued last December 18 and a warrant for selling illegal drugs issued last June 11, the police conducted the operation after receiving a tip that Wagas was in Tag-ubi.

When police got to the barangay, they allegedly saw people playing “hantak” (coin-betting game) and “tigbakay” (illegal cockfight) where Wagas allegedly served as a collector.

When Wagas spotted the police operatives, he allegedly fired several shots but he was no match against their armalite rifles and other short firearms.

Reports also had it that Wagas hurled a hand grenade at the policemen but luckily the device failed to explode. — Johanna T. Natavio and Lesley Caminade of BANAT News/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)