4 suspects in Liloan ‘strafing’ fall

CEBU, Philippines — Liloan, Cebu policemen led by Major Eric Gingoyon arrested four suspects in the shooting of a group of youths who were hanging out and allegedly drinking at a convenience store in Barangay Yati, Liloan last Thursday at dawn.

A 16-year-old girl was killed during the attack while two other youths suffered gunshot wounds but survived.

Authorities named the suspects as “Niño”, 18 years, of Brgy. Looc, Danao City; twin brothers tagged as “B1” and “B2”, 34, of Brgy. Jagobiao, Mandaue City; and a certain “Makmak”, 21, of Brgy. Calero, Liloan.

Gingoyon, Liloan Police Station chief, said the arrest of the suspects was through a hot pursuit operation.

He said that at 11 pm on Thursday, they first arrested Niño in Looc and he confessed during interrogation he was involved in the shooting and who were the other suspects.

This is the reason why Liloan police managed to identify and arrested B1 and B2 in Jagobiao, at 2 a.m. yesterday and then Makmak at 4 a.m.

"Si alyas Niño naa gyuy nakaila niya. Mao to pagkadakop namo niya gipakita namo sa witness, kaning witness namo is naa ni siya didto sa area so naay nakaila sa iyang barog," Gingoyon said.

He said grudge and “gang war” are the motives they are looking at why the suspects committed the crime.

He said the suspects are members of the “Bloods gang” and likely took revenge on the victims, who are “Crips gang” members, because a Bloods gang member got stabbed close to where the victims were fired upon Thursday dawn.

Gingoyon said the two groups also fought evening of May 8, Wednesday, during a fiesta in Mandaue City, but the groups parted and fled when the police arrived.

The victims allegedly went to Liloan. Unknown to them, the suspects followed them there, where they were fired upon.

Gingoyon said they are still looking for “Ugoy”, a fifth suspect.

He said B1 yielded a 9 mm firearm with six bullets during his arrest. They gun would be subjected to a ballistic examination to determine if it was used during the crime, as responding policemen recovered at the scene 18 bullets and 4 bullet slugs.

Complaints of murder, frustrated murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms would be filed against the four suspects.(CEBU NEWS)