Tanod manning outpost shot in the eye

CEBU, Philippines - Days after the shooting of a barangay tanod in Camputhaw, another was reported shot while responding to an alarm in barangay Basak-Pardo yesterday dawn.

The tanod was identified as Danilo Cabaluna, 56 years old, who was in critical condition as of yesterday morning after he got shot at by one of three robbers who victimized three passengers of a public utility jeepney bound for barangay Pardo.

Cabaluna was hit in the right eye. The gunman, identified by policemen as Christopher Albo alias “Abay-abay”, and his two companions escaped.

Albo was identified through a photograph secured by the police rogue gallery.

Before he was shot, the suspect and his cohorts were onboard the PUJ from the city bound for Pardo. Upon reaching the corner of Bayanihan Village in Basak-Pardo, the three declared a holdup.

Passengers who lost their cellular phones to the robbers were identified as Jemelyn Jugan, 23 years old; Pete John Sepulveda, 35; and July Ballesteros, 16.

While the robbery was going on inside the PUJ, the driver first refused to put the vehicle to a stop but later on gave in to the robbers after the latter poked a gun at him. The three then hurriedly disembarked from the jeepney.

The victims reported the incident to the Kinasang-an barangay hall. Since the robbers were believed to be heading towards Pardo, tanods on duty relayed information to the barangay hall of Basak-Pardo regarding the matter.

Duty tanods then informed their fellow tanod (Cabaluna) assigned at an outpost near Kinasang-an.

Tumulak instructed Cabaluna to block the area where the three were heading while they were coming for reinforcement. When reinforcement arrived, Cabaluna was just discovered sprawled on the road. As he was solely pursuing the robbers, he was shot at in the process.

When he was shot past 2 a.m. the gun bursts were even heard by his fellow barangay tanods over the radio.

Basak-Pardo barangay chairman Dave Tumulak claimed of also hearing the gun bursts over the radio of his tanod-companion who alerted Cabaluna.

Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Jr., chief of the Cebu City Police Office, said that although he acknowledges the efforts of tanods in running after offenders, they should also study the situation first.

Comendador said that Cabaluna should have waited for a backup before pursuing criminals.

 “Maayo ta gyod ana nga i-assess una ang situation. Kinahanglan lang gyod nila nga matiman-an ang nawong, porma niini. Ug kon naa man gani sakyanan, ang plate number timan-an,” Comendador said.

Albo has a pending warrant of arrest for robbery charges.

Last week, Reynaldo Quiñones, barangay tanod of Camputhaw, was also shot in a similar situation. — /MEEV (THE FREEMAN)