Task force formed to pursue kagawad’s assailants

CEBU, Philippines — Following the shooting incident that wounded a councilman in Barangay Luca, Balamban town, who was shot by suspects riding in tandem, police activated a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to secure the arrest of the suspects.

The Balamban Municipal Police Station identified the victim as 54-year-old Renato Pacquiao Tribunalo, an incumbent councilman of Barangay Luca. He was reportedly wounded after he was shot at his home in Sitio Tunga, Barangay Cantuod, in the said city, last Thursday afternoon, February 19.

Yesterday, the police said that they have identified two persons of interest who are said to be responsible for the crime. However, their identities have not been disclosed, pending the ongoing investigation.

The Balamban police has formed a municipal-level SITG to fast-track and intensify their hot-pursuit operations against the alleged suspects.

Based on the initial investigation by the Balamban Municipal Police Station, the incident occurred around 4 P.M. Tribunalo was sitting inside his house fixing their air-conditioner when one of the suspects suddenly arrived in front of the gate and shot the victim once with an undetermined caliber of firearm, hitting his right chest.

The gunman immediately fled on a red motorcycle driven by an unidentified accomplice who was waiting for him just a few meters away.

The victim was immediately rushed to Cebu Provincial Hospital-Balamban for medical treatment with the help of his son-in-law using their multicab.

Police also said that the shooting incident was reported about 30 minutes after a concerned citizen called the police station, prompting them to launch a hot-pursuit operation.

Residents in the area said that when they heard a loud bang, they initially thought it was just an electric transformer that exploded, they did not expect it to be from a gunshot.

Through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, the gunman was seen wearing a t-shirt, shorts, a ball cap, and a white handkerchief, while the driver was wearing a t-shirt and short pants.

After learning about the incident, Balamban Mayor Amos Edwin Cabahug posted on social media images of the CCTV footage to appeal to people who may have recognized, seen, or know of their whereabouts of the suspects.

The Balamban police thanked the public for their active cooperation which helped in identifying the two alleged suspects who are still being sought by authorities.

Through the SITG, the police are also intensifying their hot-pursuit operations to immediately arrest the suspects and determine the motive for the crime. Documents are now also being prepared for the filing of frustrated murder cases against the at-large suspects.

Tribunalo is currently in stable condition and is still recuperating at the hospital. — (FREEMAN)