Bogo strafing suspects identified

CEBU, Philippines - The two men responsible for strafing of the house of a barangay councilman and of a retired police officer early morning last Wednesday in Bogo City were already identified.

Atty. Julius Ompad, chief of the Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Branch, is now preparing charges for frustrated homicide against the two suspects.

The police, though, are withholding their names for security reasons.

Retired SPO2 Constancio Cueva, whose house had 78 bullet holes, told The FREEMAN that he saw the face of the gunman who was standing in front of their house armed with a KG9 sub-machine gun.

“Di gyud mawala sa akong huna-huna iyang nawong kay kita gyud ko paglili nako sa bintana,” Cueva said. (I could not take his face off my mind. I saw him through the window.)

He added that he also identified the man who posed as back up and was a few meters from their house armed with a caliber .45 pistol and was firing at their living room.

The two did not cover their faces although they wore leather jackets.

The sole motive that Cueva could think of is not politics although he is the security officer of Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez. He said this could be personal grudge from the time when he was still a policeman.

Cueva said the suspects were those he arrested and jailed for murder charges several years ago. He also received information that they were released from jail in 2010.

He also added that suspects were linked to the illegal drug trade.

“Mao ni sila ang napriso kaniadto unya nakagawas na unya may tinguha nga mobawos nako,” Cueva said on a phone interview. (I put them in jail before. Now that they’re out, they want to get back at me.)

Cueva has a licensed caliber .45 pistol and was able to return fire. His wife, Elvira Cueva, 51, helped him by loading the magazine of his pistol.

The shootout lasted for about three minutes before the gunmen fled on board a Honda XRM motorcycle. Recovered outside Cueva’s house were 21 empty shells of 9mm pistol and six empty shells of caliber .45 pistol. Another 24 empty shells of caliber .45 pistol were also found inside the house.

Cueva said the suspects could have been monitoring his moves before the plan was carried out. He said it could also be the suspects’ plan to strafe the house of Cayang barangay councilman Teofilo Tudtud to mislead the investigation.

For his part, Tudtud will rely on the investigation conducted by the police saying he is confident that the police could solve the crime. Barangay Cayang is located about three kilometers away from Barangay Taytayan.

“Ambot nganong giapil ko nga wa man gyud ko’y kontra sukad-sukad,” Tudtud said. (I could not think of anyone who would want to hurt me.)

Chief Insp. Ceferino Tabay, Bogo City police chief, said both incidents happened at the same time by men on board Honda XRM motorcycles. — Ria Mae Y. Booc/JPM (THE FREEMAN)