Off-duty cop foils rob, shoots suspect dead

An off-duty policeman from the town of Carcar foiled a jeepney robbery yesterday morning at M.J. Cuenco Avenue, barangay Tinago, this city resulting to the death of one of two suspects.

The fatality was identified as Gerry Bayno, 28, a resident of Ponce compound in barangay Carreta. He died at the Cebu City Medical Center a few minutes after policemen brought him there for treatment.

The other suspect was identified as Romulo Ligan, 41. SPO1 Meliton Agadier, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, was the one who collared Ligan and saved the day for the passengers of the PUJ.

Theft and Robbery Section investigator SPO2 Genilo Veraque told The Freeman that Agadier was forced to shoot Bayno, who tried to stab the policeman.

The driver told the police that the suspects boarded his PUJ near the Lorega public market, but upon reaching M.J. Cuenco Avenue near the corner of Zulueta st., the duo pulled out knives and announced a hold-up. They then started taking the victims wallets, watches and personal effects.

Victims Jimer Navarro, 21; Rolia Laborte, 31, with her five year old daughter; Irene Bontilao, 23; Evangeline Tangoan, 25; and Benjamin Semanis, 28 handed their valuables to the two suspects for fear of their lives.

But luckily for the victims Agadier, who was on board a private vehicle with his son and his friends were right behind the jeepney and noticed the robbery.

"Nakit-an nako ni siya (pointing to Laborte) gitiunan og kutsilyo unya gitangtangan og relo, ako dayong giingnan si Agadier nga gitulis ang jeep," a friend of Agadier's son said.

Agadier's instincts taught him not to react prematurely, but he kept pace with the PUJ and waited until the suspects disembarked before making the arrest.

According to Agadier, he collared Ligan first by poking his service firearm at the suspect's back first. The startled Ligan immediately threw his knife away.

But Bayno, who still had his kitchen knife, attacked Agadier, but the policeman managed to avoid the thrust and then shot Bayno once in the lower back portion his hips.

"Unang minaog ning usa (Ligan), ako dayong gikwelyuhan, katong usa midunggab man dayon nakalihay ko, misaylo man akong gibirahan kausa," Agadier said.

Agadier recovered the stolen items of the victims including one cellphone, four wristwatches, gold earrings, three wallets and a gold bracelet. It was the responding policemen from Mobile Patrol Group who brought Bayno to CCMC.

Veraque told The Freeman that it is very seldom in a robbery incident in the city that suspects would take all belongings of the passengers, this practice is common in Metro Manila.

He suspected Ligan was the one who masterminded the robbery since this man was once imprisoned at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa and also at the Iwahig Penal Colony for 15 years and nine months.

Ligan admitted to The Freeman that he was jailed for that period for five counts of robbery when he was about 25 years old, but denied masterminding the heist since it was Bayno, who surprised him when he pulled out a knife and announced hold-up.

Veraque said that Agadier was in imminent danger when he shot Bayno.

"Naa man siya sa lawful performance of duty, unya naay unlawful aggression and reasonable necessity to prevent or repel it," Veraque said, adding that in spite of this, the family of Bayno has the right to file complaint if they want to.

Three weeks ago, secret marshals of the Waterfront police station collared a suspected would-be robber at sitio Tabay in barangay Mabolo at North Reclamation Area.

The suspect with a companion, who managed to elude arrest, hitched a ride on a PUJ.

When the men recognized the presence of cops on board, they jumped off the vehicle and ran towards the interior portion of the said place.

The one arrested was found to have knife and a pack of suspected shabu. - Edwin Ian Melecio/NLQ