Parsons survives yet another attack

A former singer and actor who made the headlines last year for fighting off a group of robbers at his Marikina City home has survived another attack, believed to be in retaliation for his heroic deed that left two men dead.

Sonny Parsons, a former Marikina councilor and a member of the popular singing group Hagibis, claimed he shot and wounded one of three persons who tried to kill him yesterday in his residence on Bronze street corner Rainbow street, SSS Village.

Parsons (Jose Nabiula in real life) said he strongly believes that the three men are part of a robbery gang out to get even with him for killing two of their members and wounding another last July 18.

The former councilor said he was working on a script for the US tour of his former band Hagibis when his dog began barking at around 2:45 a.m. yesterday.

From his office window, Parsons saw a man wearing a black jacket and a bonnet observing his house through the opening of the gate, apparently looking for him.

The former singer immediately grabbed his caliber .45 pistol, went out of the house through the back door and confronted the suspects.

Taking cover behind a cement post, Parsons shouted at the suspects, asking them to identify themselves. The response was a volley of gunfire, but luckily their shots missed their mark.

One of the suspects then took out a hand grenade from his bag, prompting Parsons to shoot him four times in the chest.

Responding policemen recovered the hand grenade still inside the bag left behind by the assailants as well as a number of spent shells.

Not a single drop of blood was found.

"The guy I hit must have been wearing a bullet-proof vest," Parsons explained.

The former actor said the suspects boarded a red Nissan Sentra with no license plates and sped toward the city proper.

"It was the same car used by the first group of suspects who tried to kill me last July 18," he said.

Last July 18, Parsons was able to kill two robbers and wounded another after they barged into his home and hogtied him and members of his household.

The former actor was able to untie himself and get his pistol. He managed to catch up with the robbers a block away from his home and exchanged fire with them.

Joram Gaceta, of Batasan Hills, Quezon City survived after months of treatment at the Amang Rodriguez Medical Center. Police were able to recover assorted jewelry and cash from Gaceta.

However, Gaceta jumped bail on robbery and attempted homicide charges filed against him. Parsons could not say whether Gaceta was one of his attackers yesterday.

Police claimed the three suspects robbed a house in Barangay Concepcion before proceeding to Parson’s house.

Marikina City police chief Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina claimed they have identified the three suspects, but he refused to reveal their names for fear of jeopardizing ongoing operations.