Cop chief hurt, 2 ‘robbers’ dead

 CEBU, Philippines - Two suspected robbers were killed while the chief of the Boljoon Police Station was injured after a shootout yesterday afternoon in Barangay San Antonio, Boljoon, Cebu, during a follow-up to operations conducted by the police last Saturday.

Arnel Coronel and John Michael “Titing” Mejares, who are believed to be members of the Coronel robbery group of Nug-as, Alcoy town, were killed while Boljoon police chief Inspector Dexter Basirgo suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of the waist and left shoulder during the incident.

Coronel and Mejares were listed among the four subjects of the search warrants issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras but were reported to have escaped during  last Saturday’s operations.

The two other subjects were Jonathan Moran and William Salonoy. Out of the 11 subjects, six were arrested while one was killed.

Before yesterday’s operation, police received information about the presence of the criminal group in a mountainous area of San Antonio, Boljoon.

SPO3 Rogelio Fernandez, who was among those who conducted the operations, said that they left the station noon and arrived in the area believed to be the hideout of the group around 2:30 p.m.

Fernandez said the hideout was the house of Florante “Poloy” Mosqueda who was said to be the uncle of Mijares. Mosqueda is a native of Nug-as, Alcoy.

He added that they also received reports that Arnel Coronel’s group came from the house of a former barangay councilman of San Antonio but the latter reported to the police that they only asked for food.

While the police were on their way up to the house of Mosqueda, Arnel Coronel and his group including Mijares, Mosqueda, and Mosqueda’s 15-year-old son were also going down.

 Fernandez said that they noticed from a distance that the group was carrying guns.

 He added that Arnel Coronel spotted the police and was the first to open fire, hitting Basirgo. The police then returned fire in a shootout that lasted ten to fifteen minutes.

 Mosqueda managed to escape while his son was arrested by the police and detained at the Boljoon Police Station. Fernandez said that Mosqueda’s son confirmed that Arnel Coronel and Mijares were at their house last Saturday. They were reportedly at Barangay San Antonio to celebrate the fiesta that day.

 “Pagkadungog nila nga namatay na si Gañolon ug nadakpan ilang mga kauban, wa na sila mouli didto. Nagbalhin-balhin na sila diri sa San Antonio,” Fernandez said.

 The son of Mosqueda, however, did not admit their involvement in the criminal activities of the group.

 Basirgo is reported to be in safe condition after he was immediately brought to Chong Hua Hospital.

 The police recovered two .45 cal. pistols, a .357 revolver, a Frontier revolver and two fragmentation grenades from Arnel Coronel and Mejares.

Saturday’s operation

 It was last Saturday when joint operatives of the Police Regional Office-7 and the Cebu Provincial Police Office conducted simultaneous raids in Alcoy and Dalaguete that led to the death of Jojo Gañolon, Jaylhone Mercado, and Lorenzo Coronel after they allegedly engaged police in a shootout.

 Ten people, who are alleged protectors of the criminals operating in southern Cebu, were also arrested, they were Erwin Amandoron, 41, husband of the barangay captain of Nalhub; Vicente Asenjo, 36; Randy Belda, 32; Lucino Quivido, 58; Michael Manriquez, 45, barangay councilman of Jolomaynon, Dalaguete; Hermigildo Capal, 65; Esteban Salonoy, 60; Mario Coronel, 49; Timoteo Amaca, 35, barangay councilman of Nug-as, Alcoy; and Alvin Coronel, 20.

 The subjects of the police operation were reportedly involved in drugs, robbery, extortion, and gun-for-hire activities.

Provincial Intelligence Branch chief Superintendent Rodolfo Albotra defended the operation saying it was Gañolan’s group who fired first.

 “By the number of firearms recovered, it is more than enough to justify the actions of the police. They have high-powered firearms and they have the capability to shoot us knowing the background of these people,” he said.

 He said that the primary concern of the police during the operation was the safety of the children and other personalities who are not subject of the operation.

 He also denied the allegations that the police stole the money from Gañolon and clarified they turned it over to his wife.

 “If they have complaints, we, the police, are willing to face any proceedings. We are only doing our jobs,” he said.

 Gañolon is said to be the leader of a gun-for-hire group operating in southern Cebu. He was previously arrested for drugs but escaped in 2011 while attending a court hearing in Argao.

 Gañolon and Mercado who reportedly fired at the policemen trying to serve a warrant of arrest were killed by the police in Sitio Lutawan, Barangay Nalhub, Dalaguete, while Lorenzo Coronel, who also tried to shoot it out with the authorities was killed in Nug-as, Alcoy.

 During the search operations conducted in Gañolon’s house, the police found a wig that was believed to be used by the former to disguise himself.

About 100 policemen from the Regional Intelligence Division-7, Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group-7, Provincial Intelligence Branch, and the towns’ police force were involved in Saturday’s operation.

 CPPO director Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac said the operation stemmed from the clamor of the community against the proliferation of illegal drugs and bullying by armed persons of residents in the mountainous barangays.

 Several complaints of the community were received by Governor Hilario Davide III.

 Assorted firearms from the suspects, including two units of KG-9 machine pistols, five .45 cal. pistols, seven .38 cal. revolvers, two .380 cal. revolvers, two fragmentation grenades, several magazines and rounds of ammunition, a bundle of dried marijuana, several packs of suspected shabu and P15,000 cash were confiscated from the criminal group. 

 The guns will be subjected to ballistic testing to determine if these were used in previous shooting incidents.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)