Lawyer, companions who survived QC ambush may face criminal raps —police

The lawyer and his companions who bravely chased and exchanged shots with their attackers in Quezon City earlier this week may face criminal charges, a police official said Saturday.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar told GMA News Online that their investigators are considering filing illegal possession of firearms and homicide charges against lawyer Argel Joseph Cabatbat and his companions.

Cabatbat and his companions, while on board a car was ambushed by three men riding two motorcycles at the corner of EDSA and East Avenue last Tuesday.

The lawyer, who was driving the vehicle, decided to go after their attackers. They were able to catch up on the attackers and ran over one of the motorcycles.

One of the attackers, a dismissed policeman identified as Police Officer 1 Mark Boquela Ayeras, was killed by Cabatbat's group.

The QCPD later said that Cabatbat's group also fired at their attackers.

"The QCPD, our investigators are considering the filing of appropriate charges against Atty. Cabatbat and his other companions," QCPD director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar told GMA News Online in a phone interview Saturday.

"While it is true that na-establish natin na it was an ambush... pero because mayroong retaliation at nagkaroon ng shooting incident at mayroong namatay, in that case, 'yung homicide case kasi is puwedeng i-file also against Atty. Cabatbat and his colleagues," he explained.

He added that illegal possession of firearms may also be filed against the lawyer and his companions once police investigators have confirmed who are the owners of the two firearms seized at the crime scene.

Earlier reports said that Cabatbat was the owner of one of the firearms, 1 9mm pistol. The other firearm, a .45 pistol, was reportedly owned by the dismissed policemen.

Eleazar said the group of the lawyer can cite self-defense, but it would be up to the prosecutor's office to decide on it once the QCPD has filed the criminal charges against them.

"Defense talaga iyon. Kaya nga sinasabi natin na, para lang makumpleto 'yung imbestigasyon. Ang piskalya naman, alam nila na defense 'yon. Pero in our point of view, we are considering to file this and the fiscal or the office of the prosecutor will be the one to evaluate," he said.

Eleazar said they are also waiting for the results of Ayeras' death certificate to confirm whether he died from gunshot wounds or physical injuries he suffered from the collision between his motorcycle and Cabatbat's car. —ALG, GMA News