3 killed, 1 injured in Cebu City ambush

CEBU CITY, Philippines - Three people were killed and one was injured in an ambush Sunday in the village of Kalunasan, Cebu City. Two of those killed were identified as Jose Mecias Pungtod Magno, 43, of Buhangin, Davao City and Medase Sumagay-say Castro, 41, who was from Mantuyong village in Mandaue City, but was a native of North Cotabato. Magno died on the spot while Castro was rushed to Perpetual Succour Hospital but died before doctors could attend to her. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds, mostly in the head. A release order for a complaint for corruption of public official was found in Castro’s possession. Another fatality, who died while treated, was identified through her voter’s identification card as Evelyn Bangot Magno, 41, of 108 Capt. V. Roa Ext., Barangay 39 Poblacion, Cagayan de Oro City. Homicide Section investigators are still determining if Evelyn was Jose’s wife. She was found kneeling with her head on the front seat, as if trying to shield herself from the shots. The other victim, who is still under medical observation at the Perpetual Succour Hospital, was identified through his Armed Forces of the Philippines – AFP Savings and Loans Associations Inc. (AFPSLAI) ID as Henry Advencula Comandao of Basak Gate, Lapu-Lapu City. Jose and Castro were arrested and charged with estafa and corruption for allegedly duping a 75-year-old pensioner some weeks ago. Castro allegedly tried to bribe operatives of the Theft and Robbery Section, headed by Senior Insp. Michael Bastes, last Thursday with P50,000 for Jose’s released and for police not to tell other victims about the arrest. The attack happened shortly after Jose and Castro went out of the Cebu City Jail in Kaluna-san after posting bail for both charges. PO3 Geoffrey Gutual, one of the responding homicide investigators, estimated the crime scene to be 200 meters away from the city jail. According to information gathered by the investigators, Jose was released from jail at 4:50 p.m. Castro was freed five minutes later. The ambushed occurred at 5:05 p.m Jose and Castro, together with Evelyn and Comandao, boarded a white Hyundai van (GPZ 457) in leaving from the city jail. Both Jose and Castro took the backseats while Evelyn occupied the front seat. Comandao drove the van. Initial information gathered by the team of homicide investigators led by SPO2 Rey Cuyos indicated that three people on board two motorcycles carried out the ambush. One motorcycle had a driver and a passenger while the other motorcycle was boarded by a lone man. Police are still determining how many people fired at the van. Homicide investigators and personnel from the Scene of the Crime Operations (Soco) 7 initially recovered nine spent shells from calibers 9mm and .45. SPO2 Jake Rojas, who resides in Barangay Kalunasan and was among the first to arrive at the crime scene, said he rushed to the area after a neighbor told him about the incident. He found Comandao still moving his hands prompting him to ask a neighbor to immediately call the assistance of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation and inform the operator of the police hotline 166. While waiting for the paramedics, Rojas said he tried to talk to Comandao for possible clues on the shooters but the latter did not respond. TRS Chief Bastes, in an interview with reporters after the incident, confirmed that Jose and Castro were the same persons arrested last Thursday. He said Jose and Castro were charged the following day. When asked to comment on the possibility that the victims were summarily executed by men in uniform, both Bastes and Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said speculations like these are expected. The two officials, however, said that the suspected swindlers have victimized several people and have “amassed" about P10-million in cash and valuables through a swindling modus operandi known locally as “budol-budol." Bastes did not discount the possibility that the two were killed by their own colleagues. He said he got information that members of the group have a conflict over the distribution of their loot. Comendador said it is also not a remote possibility that “exasperated" victims have “taken the law in their hands." He, however, clarified that he is not accusing the victims of being behind the attack. He said all angles are still being looked into to identify the killers and put them behind bars. For Comendador, even if the fatalities, particularly Jose and Castro, were suspected swindlers they also deserved justice. According to the information gathered by Comendador and Bastes, Jose and Castro were members of a group of large-scale swindlers from Mindanao and operating budol-budol schemes here in Cebu. The group operates by offering victims what appears to be bundles of cash in exchange for their valuables. The cash would turn out to be boodle or ordinary paper cut to the size of bills. Genuine bills are placed on top of the bundles to make it appear like a wad of real money. Yesterday’s incident became the fourth case in Cebu where persons suspected of a crime were killed after posting bail and walking out of the jail. Six day’s ago, unidentified gunmen also shot and killed suspected robber Recolly Igoy in the southern town of Minglanilla. His wife and sister were also hurt in the incident. Igoy had posted bail and was just released from the Carcar City Jail when he was ambushed. On July 24 last year, suspected robbery gang member Brando Babao, 41, was also gunned down less than an hour after posting bail for an illegal possession of firearms case and walking out from the detention cell of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station. He was killed while on board a taxicab together with his family on on McArthur Blvd. in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City. Babao of Barangay Valladolid, Carcar City, Cebu, died of multiple gunshot wounds, mostly in the head. On Sept. 4, Rodulfo Atega Jr., alias Dupong, who was a member of the disbanded Casimero “Meloy" Garcia Robbery Group, was also shot and killed by motorcycle-riding men in a taxicab at the junction of Gen. Maxilom Ave. and D. Jakosalem St., Cebu City. Atega had just been released on bail from the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan. In both incidents, the Cebu City Homicide Section believed they were killed by their colleagues in their respective robbery groups to prevent them from squealing to police. – Sun.Star Cebu