Work-related angle eyed in guard's slay

CEBU, Philippines - The Liloan police suspect a jail guard’s strict work ethic may have been one of the reasons he was shot dead last Monday in Liloan town.

Chief Insp. Richard Oliver, Liloan police chief, said that Leo Labata, 45, was strict in performing his job. 

“He is strict in the line of duty, although we are also looking into other angles it’s more likely that the case is work-related,” Oliver said.

Labata, a jail guard of the Cebu City Jail, is the brother of Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Simaco Labata.

He has been in the service for 14 years.

Labata was on his way home late in the afternoon last Monday when he was shot dead by men on a motorcycle in Barangay Poblacion, Liloan town, just a few meters from his house.

Police suspected that perpetrators might have tailed Labata waiting for the right time to strike.

Labata succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead at the Eversley Child Sanitarium in Barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City.

Police recovered one empty shell and five live rounds of a .45 cal. pistol suspected used by the assailants.

Oliver said that although witnesses failed to identify the suspects they can still be asked to help compose cartographic sketches.

“We are already contacting a cartographer who will do sketches of the suspects,” Oliver said.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Cebu Provincial Police Office director, already directed the Provincial Intelligence Branch to assist the Liloan police in their investigation including the checking of cases the victim had been handling.

Comendador also said they now have a lead based on the evidence gathered in the crime scene but he refused to give further details. – (FREEMAN)