Crew of getaway boat found dead

CEBU, Philippines - One of the crew of the motorized banca that was used by robbery suspect Dionisio “Jun-Jun” Cabando to escape to Bohol two days after a foiled heist at a mall in Fuente Osmeña was found floating in the seawaters of Sitio Salvador, Barangay Tangke, Talisay City last Saturday afternoon.

The fatality was identified as Antonio Ba-lingit, 50, a fisherman from Sitio Magay of the same barangay.

His body was found by Michael Librando and Joseph Tonga, crew of a barge named Filipino owned by FF Cruz Corp.

Chief Inspector Romeo Santander, chief of the Cebu City Intelligence Branch, however, would not say yet whether the death of Balingit has something to do with Cabando’s escape. 

He said that they will wait for the results of the autopsy to know what really caused the death of the fisherman.

Santander said that initially there were no signs of foul play as there was no gunshot or stab wound found.

“Dili namo i-disclose ang tanang posibilidad sa pagkakaron pero autopsy result lang gyud ang makatubag ani,” he said in a phone interview.

SPO1 Mikie Espina said that they found a hole on the right eye of Balingit, but they believe that it could have been caused by the waves.

Balingit’s body has been taken to the St. Francis Funeral Homes along N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City for autopsy.

Santander said that if there was a foul play, they will immediately call the other witnesses to provide them and their families with security as well as to give them their assurance.

“So far wala pa hinuo’y threat sa among witnesses, but security and protection is an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) to those who will testify in a case,” he said.

Santander said that Balingit signed his affidavit last September 10 together with Marino Ochea, 43; Luisito Ochea, 29; and a minor nephew of the fatality. They attested that indeed Cabando was on board their pump boat heading towards Panglao, Bohol.

He said that though Balingit is already dead, his affidavit could still be used.

Cabando was allegedly one of four men, who figured in a botched robbery inside the mall last September 5 where two security guards were killed, and two policemen and a bank teller were hurt.

The boatmen said that Cabando disguised himself as a blonde-haired woman when his group rented the boat in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City to take them to Panglao Island.

Luisito, who was the master of the pump boat that took Cabando to Panglao, said that the suspect wore a long blonde wig and a blue dress.

He also said that Cabando was assisted by two unidentified armed men into the pump boat as he was pale, limping, and weak.

Cabando who was reportedly shot while trying to flee during the botched robbery, was allegedly escorted by two armed men when they approached Marino, the boat’s owner, and negotiated for the trip to Panglao and paid P15,000.

Cabando is believed to be the leader of the robbery group.

His three cohorts were killed by the police and the P1.2 million that they took from a teller of Chinabank was recovered.

Cabando reportedly first fled to Mandaue City where he sought help from Merlyn Laguitao, his live-in partner, who later asked her relative, Anne Marie Magadan, a nursing graduate, to help Cabando and treat his wounds.

After Mandaue, Cabando was reported to have gone north but later it was confirmed that he took the boat to Panglao Island.—/NLQ (FREEMAN)