Baguio City gang war claims youth

Sun.Star: BAGUIO CITY - Another teenager was shot dead in Engineers Hill when he and his companions were involved in a rumble with another youth gang, after coming from Nevada Square in the wee hours of Sunday morning. This followed the near death of a 21-year-old student, who was shot in the face, neck and back by a member of another youth gang, whom he and his companions passed at Carantes Street over an hour later. The incidents added basis to fears that youth gang violence is once again on the rise despite a curfew on minors still in effect in the city. At 3 a.m. of February 2, another 15-year-old boy was discovered unconscious by a mobile patrol team, almost four hours after he was mauled unconscious by a group of still unidentified youth gang members in front of Nevada Square the night before. Baguio Police Director Moises Guevarra identified the latest casualty of youth violence as Kenneth Isaac Fernandez Jaramillo, 19, of Central Tawang, La Trinidad, Benguet and Siapno Road, Pacdal, Baguio City. Police said the victim was drinking with his elder brother Cris at Nevada Square, but Cris opted to go home earlier, leaving Kenneth and his companions. At 1:45 a.m. of February 3, barangay police auxiliary James Gayo heard a group of persons creating trouble outside his house located at 167 Lower Engineers Hill, which was followed by the sound of two gunshots. After he went out to check, he found the victim steep in blood near the corner of Lagera Alley and Manrique Street. Crying beside him then were two male and one female companion. Cris only found out later what happened to Kenneth, when an unidentified person texted him, stating his younger brother and his companions were engaged in a fistfight with another youth gang. Responding policemen discovered the victim sustained gunshot wounds in the head. They recovered beside the victim's body a broken bottle of light beer, while found inside his pockets a brown Sagada weave coin purse containing P751, a Casino Pilipino token, a key, a Smart Buddy subscriber identification module (SIM) and a yellow plastic lighter. According to officer-on-case Luis Dangatan Jr., the victim's remains were transferred to the Baguio Memorial Chapel morgue afterwards. Over an hour later or at 3:15 a.m. the same day, Arthur Olianes Aloot, 21, a student, of Purok 8, Irisan, was just walking with his companions past a group of young men at Carantes Street, when he was shot by still unidentified men. The victim was rushed to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center emergency ward, where he was put through an operation and was confined for observation. Despite an existing administrative order (AO) to implement a 7 p.m. curfew for minors in Baguio, many parents are now complaining this has not been enforced anymore, resulting in a number of gang violence. Although many of these mauling incidents and skirmishes between members of youth gangs are not reported to the police, unless anyone is seriously wounded or killed, information regarding these was received through text messages in the past weeks. Sometime between 11 p.m. and 12 midnight of February 1, a 15-year-old third year student of Saint Louis University (SLU) Laboratory High School, who resides along Dr. Cariño Street, Quirino -- Magsaysay Subdivision, was also mauled as soon as he and a companion arrived in front of Nevada Square on board a taxi. According to a BCPO Mobile 84-A patrol team composed of policemen Rico Saro, Milan Bagsio and Romy Canao, they found the boy still sprawled unconscious a few meters from the corner of South Drive and Loakan Road at 3 a.m. of February 2 or three to four hours afterwards. According to a source, the boy and an unidentified companion arrived in Nevada Square on board a taxicab, but as soon as the vehicle left, they were chased and mauled by the attacking mob of youth gang members without any provocation. His companion escaped. This companion, after calling two other students to accompany him in locating the victim, identified him in the hospital later. Another source disclosed that despite the 7 p.m. curfew for minors, which was ordered last year, most of the customers in Nevada Square on Friday nights are high school students, while college students compose a majority of clients in the same place every Saturdays. A number of taxicab drivers have also disclosed they get wary whenever they pass by the area, as some of their vehicles get stoned or damaged, if rumbles occur there at unexpected hours of the night. - Sun.Star