CEBU, Philippines -The robbery suspect, who remains at large after Monday’s botched heist, could be in critical condition due to injuries he sustained.
Dionesio “Jun-jun” Cabando, who was reportedly hit on the buttocks when he fled from pursuing policemen after his group tried to rob a roving teller at Fuente Osmeña, was profusely bleeding according to a nurse, who treated him.
Cabando and his live-in partner Merlyn Laguitao were last spotted traveling north.
Before fleeing, Merlyn managed to ask help from a relative, Anna Marie Lagitao, a nursing graduate, to help them.
Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Cebu City Police Office director, said that Anna Marie gave Cabando first aid hours after the botched robbery.
Anna Marie said that the suspect was bleeding profusely from the gunshot wound.
The police have now put Anna Marie under protective custody.
“Sa condition niya, kun di gyud siya ma tambalan og maayo pwede nga mag-expire siya,” Buenafe said.
Homicide investigators recovered a bloodied bed mattress where Cabando was treated by Anna Marie at a house in Mandaue City.
The blood stains on the mattress were concentrated in the middle, evident of Cabando’s buttocks wound.
Investigators also showed yesterday Cabando’s bloodied pants and the motorcycle, which he used during the botched heist.
Critical
Dr. Nestor Sator, medico legal officer of the Philippine National Police Laboratory, told The FREEMAN that there is a big possibility that Cabando is in critical condition.
According to Sator, if the bullet which hit Cabando missed his femoral artery, the suspect still has the chance to live with proper medical attention.
However, if Cabando fails to get proper medical attention, he will surely die either from infections or from blood loss.
“Daghan na kog na autopsy nga namatay kay na igo sa paa. Mao lagi, kun naigo ang iyang ugat (femoral artery), possible gyud nga mao na ang iyang cause of death,” he said.
He also added that an Armalite bullet “searches for softer tissues,” adding that if it hit bones it might bounce causing more damage to the surrounding tissues.
Sr. Insp. Arnel Banzon, SWAT chief, also told The Freeman that the (5.56 mm) bullet from the M4 rifle, which hit Cabando, causes extreme damage by destroying (human) tissue when it rotates inside the body.
“Kun ma igo ka anang bala sa armalite, mo tuyok gyud na sa sulod,” he said.
Search
“He was last seen very pale og mura siya na paralyze ang usa niya ka tiil tungod sa bala sa armalite nga mi-sulod sa iyang luyo,” Buenafe said.
With this information, the police have alerted all private and public hospitals throughout Cebu.
Buenafe believes that the group has sufficient resources to have carried out their robbery.
The police however have is not discounted the possibility that Cabando have hired a private doctor to attend to his wound.
That is why; the director continues to urge Merlyn Laguitao, Cabando’s live-in partner to surrender.
“Atong gi-paabot nato si Merlyn nga kun mahimo i-surrender nalang para sakaling mabuhay pa (si Cabando),” he said.
Even their national office is interested as the case involved high-profile robbers with existing criminal records.
“Ngayon may hot pursuit na kino-conduct, baka makuha pa natin ang suspect na buhay,” he said.
He also urges the public to help them in their search for Cabando.
The police are also planning to file cases against those who helped in the robbery, adding that everyone who was involved should answer to the law.
The CCPO on Tuesday have already started a regional hot pursuit for the capture of Cabando by alerting all police stations throughout Cebu and neighboring islands.
Ozamis City has also promised to assist police in order to capture Cabando.
Cabando is believed to be the leader of the Quiapo Cabando Robbery Group, which broke away from the dreaded Kuratong Baleleng Gang.
His band took P1.2 million inside a bag brought by roving teller Lewin Surig of Chinabank who was about to deliver the cash to a client inside a mall.
Surig was shot on the leg, but security guard Lito Udag, who was escorting the teller, was shot by another robber on the torso.Udag later died at the hospital.
A second guard, Leofer Etac, who was outside the mall waiting at the armored car, was also killed after another robber grappled for his shotgun and shot the guard using a caliber .45 pistol.
Two policemen were also hurt.PO1 Elrich Jourdin Catacutan and PO1 Ray Ceniza are now recuperating at the hospital after they were shot at by the robbers.
Three companions of Cabando — Mario Dapitan, Antonio Adelan and Melencio Quiapo, who were all from Ozamis City, were killed when they were pursued by the police. —/NLQ (FREEMAN)