Inside Dumanjug Police station: Man takes gun, grabs hostage

CEBU, Philippines - A man, who was once an inmate at the Cebu City Jail, caused a ruckus at the Dumanjug town police station shortly past midnight yesterday taking the gun of a police officer and holding a civilian hostage.

The police of the southwestern town took three hours to subdue the suspect identified as Thaddeo Zafra Camacho, 26, who took a police chief’s firearm and held a woman hostage.

Camacho, a resident of Barangay Lorega, Cebu City, was hit on the left side of his body after he was shot by Sr. Insp. Rully Lauron, chief of the Dumanjug police.

The hostage was identified as Helen Recuerdo of Barangay Carmen, Toledo City.

Recuerdo sustained injuries on both of her legs from broken glass.

The two were first brought to the Barili District Hospital but were later taken to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Doctors said that they are not in any danger.

Lauron said that Camacho, who claimed that he sustained injuries after he was mauled, was found by a retired policeman named Titing perched on a rooftop.

He was convinced to climb down from the roof and was brought to the town police station to have his complaint entered in the blotter.

Camacho, reportedly, refused to file a complaint against those who mauled him.

Shortly after leaving the police station, Camacho reportedly ran back claiming that he saw the people, who wanted to kill him.

This time, Camacho went directly to the investigation room across the office of Lauron and locked himself in.

SPO1 Joselito Abella, the desk officer on duty tried to apprehend Camacho, but failed.

Police then heard jalousie blades being broken as well as the fluorescent bulb.

Policemen, who were outside the station, said that they saw Camacho break three jalousie blades using his bare knuckles and he poked his head out of the window through the broken glass.

Lauron said they tried to open the door by destroying its knob, but Camacho shouted from inside saying “kung pugson ko ninyo magdunggab ko.”

While Camacho was still in the room, Recuerdo, who is a friend of Lauron arrived at the station and went inside the office of the chief.

Lauron told The FREEMAN that he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and was about to return when he saw Camacho running towards his office and locked the door.

Lauron said that his caliber .45 service firearm, loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, which was on his table, was taken by the suspect.

“Iyang gidala-dala akong armas unya daghan na siya og demand pareha anang magpadala og media,” he said.

Camacho demanded for that popular radio personality Bobby Nalzaro be summoned to the town, because he could not trust the police.

As part of the negotiation, Lauron tried to contact Jessie Tabanao, a former radioman, asking him to call other media personalities.

While waiting for whoever will arrive, Camacho started to fire the pistol indiscriminately until he ran out of ammunition.

It was at this point when Lauron barged into his office by destroying the door knob while Camacho, who had taken Recuerdo hostage, was hiding inside the comfort room.

“Naglisod mi kay basin unsaon niya ang civilian unya sigi siya og pamuak hasta ang suga sa CR apil,” Lauron said.

The police chief said that he was left with no choice but to subdue the suspect by shooting him.

After Camacho fell, the police immediately handcuffed him and brought him to the hospital as well as the hostage.

After treatment, Camacho is now detained at the Dumanjug police stockade.

Hallucinating?

Lauron said that Camacho was seemingly hallucinating because he claimed that somebody wanted to kill him, but he never mentioned any name.

“Sige siya’g ingon nga naay mupatay niya pero pa-ngutan-on kinsa dili na pud motingog,” Lauron said.

Camacho was also frightened to mention anything about his personal life.

“Mura man siya og nalisuan pero tarong man manubag og pangutan-on,” the policeman added. The suspect even told policemen that he was Carelio Zafra Balduiza.

Lauron said that Camacho was detained at the Cebu City Jail for carnapping, but was released last January.

Camacho said that he was acquitted in that case. — /NLQ (FREEMAN)