CEBU, Philippines - One of Mandaue City's most wanted did not only choose the wrong place to live, but also made the wrong decision of shooting it out with a police team serving a warrant for his arrest.
Joselito Opo Cortes, who has been wanted in relation to a murder case, died in a shootout with a team from the Canduman Police Station last Tuesday night. One of the policemen was also hurt.
He has been on the wanted list for two years, but a tipster spotted him at his house located behind the building occupied by the Canduman Police Station.
Murder case
Police Inspector Louie Alama, leader of the team sent to serve the warrant of arrest of Cortes said that the fatality has been in hiding for two years.
Cortes, according to SPO3 Junafe Vergara of the women's desk of the Canduman Police, was tagged responsible for the death of Maricel Ruli, who was renting a room at the suspect's residence.
Ruli and Vicky, the wife of Cortes, reportedly had a fight, which wasn't settled in the barangay level, said Vergara.
Ruli filed a case, but continued living in the room that she rented in Cortes house.
Cortes, who was a tanod of Barangay Canduman, reportedly shot Ruli after kicking the door of her rented room open.
The victim reportedly pleaded for her life, but this did not allegedly stop Cortes from shooting her.
The suspect fled after the incident.
The shootout
An informant told the police that Cortes was back last Tuesday night.
A team was formed to serve the arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 55 Judge Silvestre Maamo.
Alama said that the police team was blocked by Cortes wife from entering their residence even if they showed her the warrant.
Cortes was reportedly hiding in the comfort room when the police arrived and tried to flee the place through a back door.
When the police noticed that he was going to run away again, they gave a chase until they reached an interior portion of the area.
Cortes reportedly fired at the policemen and even hit SPO3 Gerson Rosende.
Luckily, the policeman was wearing a bullet-proof vest, which saved his life.
The police fired back and hit Cortes on his left leg. Despite his injury, Cortes allegedly continued firing his gun and hit the left shoulder of SPO1 Tirso Plania.
Police said that Cortes then jumped into a canal and disappeared in the dark, which made it difficult for them to find him.
But when he fired another shot, the team figured out where he was hiding and Alama said that he kept on urging Cortes to surrender, but the suspect said he would never give up and fired more rounds.
PO2 June Cosedo and PO3 Benjie Abato, who had figured exactly where Cortes was hiding fired shots hitting him on his left shoulder and on his head.
When Cortes was not anymore firing back, the police team closed in and found him sprawled inside the canal.
Paramedics from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF), who rushed to the scene, said that Cortes was dead when they arrived.
His body has been brought to the Cebu Rolling Hills Memorial Chapels for autopsy.
Alama said that it was not their intention to kill the suspect, but they were forced to fire back.
— /NLQ (FREEMAN)