"Guns-for-hire" arrested

CEBU, Philippines - Two brothers suspected to be guns-for-hire were arrested last Monday by police after they tried to flee a checkpoint where law enforcers noticed that the suspects were riding motorcycles with identical plate numbers.

In a press conference, Chief  Insp. Romeo Santander, City Intelligence Branch (CIB) chief, told reporters that he received information from Guadalupe Police Station that two unidentified men riding two separate motorcycles tried to evade a checkpoint.

Sr. Insp. Wayne Magbanua and his team reportedly saw the two men on separate motorcycles who almost hit pedestrians along Forest Hills in Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe.

The CIB personnel immediately went after the two men, after noticing that they had the same plate number- 7343 GD.

According to Santander, the CIB arrested Noel Saballa, 38, and his brother Jerome, 39, who are allegedly involved in a series of  robberies in the city like in the areas of Apas, Mabolo, Guadalupe and Banawa.

A caliber .45 pistol with 6 live rounds and a caliber 357 revolver with two live rounds was recovered by the arresting police officers from Noel while a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine loaded with seven bullets and 40 live rounds was retrieved from Jerome plus a .9mm pistol and a magazine loaded with five rounds.

Santander further disclosed that the two suspects are reportedly habal-habal drivers who at times rob their passengers.

In an interview with The Freeman, the Saballa brothers denied the allegations, saying that they are only habal-habal drivers and they have never robbed anyone and that they are also not working as gun-for-hire.

Meanwhile, a 28-year old man was injured after he was shot by police officers when he reportedly drew his weapon and shot at them during a checkpoint past 1 a.m. yesterday morning in Barangay Jolomaynon, Dalaguete town.

Jeffrey Canada, 28, was driving a motorcycle with three passengers when he disregarded a police checkpoint which prompted police officers to chase him.

"Naa ni angkas, wa mohunong sa checkpoint, nilahos mibulhot ug dagan sa pikas," said Insp. Irvin Belen, commanding officer of the Regional Public Safety Company in a phone interview with The Freeman.

He said that his advance team was able to stop the victim after the motorcycle fell to the ground.

Canada ran toward a cliff and was cornered by several police officers. He then drew out his firearm and pointed it to the police officers which prompted them to neutralize him.

Belen said that the suspect was hit three times in different parts of his body but Belen stressed that his wounds are not fatal. The suspect was brought to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for immediate medical treatment while his passengers were brought to the Julio Cardinal Rosales Memorial Hospital as they suffered minor injuries.

The police officers were able to confiscate from Canada's possession two sachets of shabu.   (FREEMAN)