Murder suspect falls in Davao

CEBU, Philippines - A murder suspect in Cebu who has been hiding for 16 years is now put behind bars following his arrest by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7 Friday afternoon in Davao City.

The CIDG-7 in coordination with the Sta. Ana Police Station arrested Crispin Cañada Guba, 40, at his residence in Freedom Village, Barangay San Antonio.

The arrest was by virtue of an arrest warrant for murder issued by the late Regional Trial Court Judge Galicano Arriesgado of Branch 18, Cebu City.

Supt. Fermin Armendarez, deputy chief of the CIDG-7, said that Guba was identified as the one who shot dead Bobby Nellas inside the Jet 2000 Bar in Lawaan III, Talisay City on October 3, 1997.

There were six of them at that time but only Guba was identified as the gunman, while his five companions were reportedly excluded from the case.

Armendarez said that Nellas approached Guba’s group to borrow the microphone which irked the suspect’s companions. They then left the area but decided to return later.

Guba, however, admitted that they decided to return to the bar that time to maul Nellas but amid the commotion he heard a gun burst and saw Nellas collapsed on the floor.

“Di gyud akoy gapusil kay daghan mi unya gubot na wa nako kahibalo kinsay gapusil ato basta kay duna koy nadunggan nga buto,” Guba said.

A witness, Joey Sevilla, claimed that he reportedly saw Guba aimed a handgun and shot Nellas in the breast which caused the latter’s death.

Guba reportedly left Cebu and hid in Misamis Occidental, Masbate and Zamboanga before his arrest in Davao City.

“Nagtago-tago ko tungod sa kahadlok nako pero wa ko kahibalo kinsa nagpusil kay niuban ko kay mutabang kog kulata,” Guba told reporters.

Guba was listed as number one most wanted person in Cebu Province and has P75,000 bounty in his head.

Armendarez said they are now checking at the different courts if Guba’s companions were indeed dismissed from the same case filed against them.— /GMR (FREEMAN)