Police outlast pa, son in chase

CEBU, Philippines - Two armed persons who turned out to be father and son trying to engage in a shootout with police after an hour-long chase were arrested in Barangay Tanibag, Pinamungajan town.

Fernando Gabuya, 44, and Reeve Ceazar Gabuya, 23, of Sitio Looc, Barangay Bato, Toledo City reportedly checked in at a lodge in Barangay Tajao on Monday morning.

Senior Police Officer 1 Henry Ferras, desk officer, said an employee reported that two male persons checked in but they parked their motorcycle inside their rented room.

“Puros laki nicheck-in sa lodge nga gisulod ang motor, wala pa mosulod og bukid, di ni ma-trap (They were both males who took their motorcycle in the room of a lodge where they checked in),” he said. 

Ferras said when police officers went to verify the report, the suspects were about to leave.

Responding police officers tried to flag them down but they tried to avoid as Fernando sped away, prompting Police Officers 2 Alcris Labrador and Bendie Nuñez to chase them.

Fernando headed towards Barangay Tanibag, a mountainous barangay in Pinamungajan, Ferras said.

Upon reaching a slippery and muddy place, the suspects’ motorcycle had experienced a mechanical problem and stopped.

Fernando then tried to pull a gun from his holster prompting Nuñez to shoot him.

“Nihunong ning motor nila pag-abot sa lapo nga lugar, unya nibunot man ni sa iyang armas ang suspek mao ning napusilan siya ni Nuñez (The motorcycle stopped at a muddy area and then the suspect pulled out a gun so he was shot by Nuñez),” Ferras recounted.

Fernando was hit in his left hand and was brought to the town’s district hospital but was referred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for further medical attention.

Police recovered a .45 cal. pistol, two magazines with 20 live ammos and 16 medium packs of suspected shabu and P500 cash.

Police recovered from Reeve several drug paraphernalia, scissors, lighter and bundles of transparent plastics.

Ferras said Fernando Gabuya is said to be a drug personality in Toledo City and has been a subject of a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bato of that city.

He said they are looking into the possibility of the suspects being are guns-for-hire. — (FREEMAN)