Suspect was "lookout" in the murder of police asset

CEBU, Philippines - The man who caused a ruckus at the Dumanjug town police station by taking the gun of a police official and holding a civilian hostage shortly past midnight Sunday admitted to have knowledge in the murder of a police asset in Barangay Lorega last Thursday.

 Thaddeo Zafra Camacho, 26, resident of Lorega, confessed that he knew the killers of Dominique Paclipan as he served as lookout of the gunmen when the victim was shot.

Camacho claimed that Paclipan’s killing had something to do with the illegal drugs. Paclipan, 39, a resident of Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City and a surplus shop worker succumbed to a gunshot wound in his nape after he was shot by a lone gunman from behind while waiting for the green light at the crossing of Barangay Lorega and F. Maxilom Avenue.

Camacho said he is afraid that Paclipan’s killer would kill him prompting him to ask the police not to detain him at the Dumanjug police stockade. However, the police turned down his request.

“Adto ra gihapon namo siya i-detain ngadto kay kami man ang arresting officer gawas siguro og wa mi kabuta-ngan niya,” Dumanjug police chief Rully Lauron said.

Camacho was taken yesterday afternoon at the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug for paraffin test.

Lauron told The FREEMAN that Camacho did not have any pending case based on their verification at the Warrant and Subpoena Section of the Cebu City Police Office.

Camacho only had a carnapping case but he was acquitted of the crime last January.

Camacho went wild and took Helen Recuerdo hostage using the service firearm of Lauron at past midnight of Sunday. It took three hours before the police subdued him by shooting the left side of his body and rescued Recuerdo, of Barangay Carmen, Toledo City.

Camacho and Recuerdo were both declared safe by the doctors at the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City where they were taken immediately after the hostage drama.

Prior to the incident, Camacho was seen perched on a rooftop saying that somebody is trying to kill him. A retired police officer asked him to climb down and ushered him to the police station to file his complaint.

But Camacho allegedly refused to file a complaint and also did not reveal the names of the people who are allegedly trying to kill him.

But when he was about to go home, Camacho suddenly locked himself in the investigation room and started breaking the fluorescent bulb and the jalousie blades.

The police tried to break the doorknob to get in but Camacho warned them saying, “kung pugson ko ninyo magdunggab ko.”

At this juncture, Recuerdo, who is a friend of Lauron, arrived and went inside the latter’s office.

Lauron 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.

Camacho took Lauron’s firearm that was left on the table and started demanding for media personality as he held Recuerdo hostage.

As part of the negotiation, Lauron did try 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. Lauron took the opportunity to subdue the suspect by shooting him once.- (THE FREEMAN)