Former Medellin barangay captain killed in shootout

CEBU, Philippines – A controversial former barangay captain of Medellin town was killed after he shot it out with policemen who came to arrest him in Sitio Dita, Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City, yesterday morning.

Marianito "Manit" Yaun, 33, a barangay captain of Antipolo, Medellin, who was implicated several times for alleged illegal drug activities, died of a single gunshot wound to the abdomen after he was hit by one of his arresting officers.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the Regional Special Operations Group of the Police Regional Office-7, said he received a report that two armed men, one of whom was Yaun, were seen in Dita.

Santander called up the officials of the Provincial Intelligence Investigation Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office to check if they were furnished with a copy of the warrant of arrest against the former barangay chief.

The warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Antonio Marigomen of the Regional Trial Court Branch 61.

After this was confirmed, Santander's team immediately went to the area where Yaun was spotted.

Santander was with four personnel of the PIIB including its chief, Supt. Rodulfo Albotra, four personnel of the Homicide Section and four other personnel from the Talamban Police Station.

The operating units arrived at the area around 11 a.m. and spotted Yaun playing "hantak" with four or five other men.

They were about to approach Yaun when the latter saw them and ran off, the others playing hantak with him also scampered away.

The policemen chased Yaun who then pulled out a gun from his pants and shot at them but missed. The policemen continued to chase the suspect but the latter fired at them twice more, forcing them to shoot back.

Yaun was hit in the abdomen and was rushed by the police to the North General Hospital where he died a few hours later.

Santander said they were prompted to shoot Yaun to prevent him from hurting any of the residents who were there that time.

A .45 cal. pistol was recovered from Yaun's possession.

Yaun was arrested last year for alleged possession of unlicensed firearms and is also suspected of being a distributor of illegal drugs in the fourth district of Cebu.

He was also allegedly arrested with his brother-in-law Eldie Briones for sniffing shabu inside a Ford Explorer.

Last October 24, someone tipped the Medellin Police Station that Yaun was involved in a shooting incident in Antipolo, Medellin, together with a certain Vicente Arriesgado Jr.

Police said around 2 p.m. Yaun and Arriesgado met at the house of a certain Jessie James Cabucos and after a heated argument Yaun suddenly shot Arriesgado in the thigh.

Arriesgado returned fire and shot up the motorcycle of Yaun.

Both suspects hurriedly fled after a team led by Insp. Bonifacio Arriesgado together with Army personnel arrived at the scene.

Later that afternoon Arriesgado was arrested inside the emergency room of the Daanbantayan District Hospital. -/BRP (FREEMAN)