Suspect raps for gun, grenade possession

CEBU, Philippines - Criminal complaints were filed yesterday against an alleged gun-for-hire whom the police tagged as the gunman responsible in the ambush which killed three people in Talisay City last February 1.

The police yesterday filed the complaints for illegal possession of firearm and ammunitions and explosives against Tommy Echavez before the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office.

Echavez was arrested in Sitio Cadacay, Barangay Lawaan III last Sunday after shooting it out with the police who were there to serve a warrant of arrest for illegal possession of firearm.

Echavez was injured during the shootout and is currently confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

The police recovered a Caliber .45 pistol with two live rounds of ammunition and a hand grenade from Echavez’s possession.

SPO1 Mikie Espina said they will also file a complaint for multiple murder within this week against Echavez over his alleged involvement in the ambush of Virginia Sesbreño and her two companions at the South Coastal Road last February 1.

Echavez denied any involvement in the ambush but the slugs and the empty shells recovered at the ambush site matched with the firearm seized from him, the police said.

Aside from the physical evidence, Espina said they have also at least five witnesses who positively identified the suspect in the ambush of Sesbreño, Joshua Young and Soledad Epanto.

Espina said they are just waiting for the autopsy report and the death certificates of the victims before they can file the case.

The police said they already have the affidavits of the witnesses.

Following the arrest of Echavez, Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador said they have already considered the ambush case as closed. Comendador, however, said they still need to track down the driver of the getaway motorcycle used by Echavez during the ambush.

“We are now looking for his cohort and hopefully we can arrest him,” Comendador said.

Sesbreño’s husband, Lawyer Raul Sesbreño, earlier told the police that he knew the people behind the ambush of his wife.

Raul believes it was linked to the demolition of at least 40 houses in their property in Barangays Lawaan I and II.

Comendador said they already have the idea of who the mastermind was but refused to give further details.  (FREEMAN)