Ambush suspect gunned down

CEBU, Philippines - An alleged notorious leader of a gun-for-hire group in Cebu was gunned down by two unidentified men at Tupaz Street, Barangay Pasil, Cebu City yesterday afternoon.

The assailants reportedly shot dead 38-year-old Arnel Gomez alias “Budlat” while kneeling and asking for his life. The victim’s five-year-old son witnessed the incident.

Police Officer 1 Ramil Bilocura of the Homicide Section said Gomez, a resident of Barangay Pahina Central, was driving a motorcycle with his son riding at the back when a car suddenly bumped his motorcycle.

Two men, who were allegedly waiting at the area, approached Gomez and shot him several times.

A witness told The FREEMAN that before Gomez was shot, the latter knelt before the gunmen and appeared to be asking to spare his life. His son was able to leave the area before his father got killed.

According to Bilocura, the victim sustained not less than three gunshot wounds on the head, causing his instantaneous death.

The gunmen fled on foot after shooting Gomez. Two policemen who were assigned nearby immediately responded to the incident and chased the assailants.

The assailants allegedly went inside a house nearby and left two cal. 45 pistols before eventually eluding arrest.

Superintendent Romeo Santander, chief of the City Intelligence Branch, said Gomez is in the list of top five persons of interest in the anti-criminality campaign of Cebu City Police Office for the number of crimes the latter has been reportedly involved in.

Santander said the most recent incident wherein Gomez was pointed as the gunman was the ambush involving Jaime Blas Villaceran, a businessman and a big-time illegal drug personality as confirmed by CIB.

According to Santander, Gomez’s death has solved more than five big criminal cases in the city as well as in the province.

He said they had a hard time arresting Gomez because aside from being elusive, the cases filed against the suspect have been dismissed since witnesses would become frightened upon knowing that the suspect was Gomez.

Aside from being engaged in a gun-for-hire group, Gomez was also into illegal drug activities, Santander further said.

The police believe that a family or relative of the victims that Gomez has killed might have ordered his assassination.

“Mao na’y giingon nga kung sa bala ka mabuhi, sa bala pud ka mamatay. Ilado naman g’yud ni siya ana nga trabaho,” said Bilocura. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya/NSA (FREEMAN)