Tabogon police chief shoots fleeing "robber"

CEBU, Philippines - The chief of Tabogon Police shot and seriously injured a 22-year-old alleged robber who tried to flee while he was being brought by his arresting officers to the police station along Barangay Ilihan yesterday dawn.

Insp. Lamberto Hibaya, chief of Tabogon Police Station, shot robbery suspect Bryan Garcia twice and hit him in his stomach and shoulder.

Hibaya identified Garcia as the alleged leader of a group of men who hijacked a Ceres Bus Liner along Barangay Libjo of the same town last August 25.

Hibaya said they conducted a pursuit operation and arrested Garcia at his residence in Barangay Libjo at 3 am yesterday.

They also recovered from Garcia’s residence a caliber .38 snub-nosed revolver which he reportedly used during the highway robbery and a PNP camouflage uniform which he also wore that time.

The police handcuffed Garcia and took him to their patrol car to supposedly bring him to the police station. Hibaya and four other policemen conducted the operation.

They were trailing halfway when for some unknown reason, Garcia was able to unlock the metal cuffs and jumped off the car.

PO3 Alman Acabal was able to catch up with Garcia in a brief chase but instead of giving in, the suspect resisted and tried to grapple for the policeman’s M16 rifle.

At this point, Hibaya fired a warning shot in the air using his 9mm service firearm.

The suspect did not heed, which prompted Hibaya to shoot him on his stomach.

Hibaya said he thought the suspect was not hit because the latter kept on resisting, which prompted him to shoot him twice using a caliber. 45. The suspect was hit on one of his shoulders.

The robbery suspect fell down and was taken to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.

Hibaya said one of the victims during the hijack pointed at Garcia as one of the four men who robbed the Ceres Bus Liner, running off with P7,000 cash from the conductor and passengers.

He said Garcia is also listed in their rouge’s gallery as he has been implicated in several robbery incidents in their place. The suspect has also been jailed for a murder case, the station chief added.

Meanwhile, unidentified burglars carted away P70,000 from an appliance center occupying a building owned by Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot and located in barangay Poblacion of the same town last Friday dawn.

Investigation showed that the burglars took the town fiesta celebration as an opportunity to carry out the burglary.

Around 9 am last Friday, Loot’s private secretary, Janice Dublin, called up the Daanbantayan Police Station and informed them that Sun Power Appliance Center located at Barangay Poblacion was burglarized by unidentified people.

Chief Insp. Jose Liddawa, Jr., police chief, responded with his team and conducted ocular investigation in the appliance center which was occupying part of a building owned by Mayor Loot.

Based on police investigation, the burglary was most possibly carried out between 2 and 4 in the morning last Friday while residents in the area were enjoying the town fiesta festivities.

Investigation further showed that the burglars were able to get inside the establishment by climbing its wall to reach the roof.

Upon successfully getting on the roof, the robbers, using unknown tools, cut an opening of the galvanized roof, enough to use as an entrance.

From there, the burglar climbed down, went inside the cashier’s office and destroyed the cash box which contained an estimated amount of P70,000.

The burglar used the same entrance to exit the place without being noticed. The owner and staff discovered the burglary few hours later when they were supposed to open the establishment.

The owner conducted an initial inventory of all the stocks inside the establishment and found out that no other valuable items were missing. — (FREEMAN)