Shooting suspect discloses cohorts

CEBU, Philippines- The 17-year-old who shot it out with cops during an operation in Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City over the weekend has divulged the identities of his cohorts.

Superintendent Romeo Santander, chief of the city police intelligence branch, said the other shooting suspects are also believed to be minors and are also residents of the barangay.

These other suspects, at least three of them, are reportedly responsible for the series of shooting incidents in the barangay, which led to the operation last Saturday afternoon.

Four people were injured in that operation, including the 17-year-old, two police operatives and a civilian agent. 

 The 17-year-old is at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center owing to gunshot wounds in his abdomen and leg. 

 Senior Police Officer 2 Julieto Bequilla, who suffered from a gunshot wound in his inner right thigh, PO2 Phillip James Tanza who sustained a gunshot wound in his abdomen, and a police agent are now in stable condition and are recupe-rating at a private hospital.

 The follow-up operation last Saturday was conducted in White Road, Barangay Inayawan.

Santander said that based on the outcome of the operation, the police now consider the cohorts of the 17-year-old as armed and dangerous. He reportedly instructed his men not to hesitate in neutralizing the suspects if the situation calls for it.

 This is now a priority for the city police following strict directive from city police chief Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa and Mayor Michael Rama.

 Santander said the .38 caliber revolver recovered from the 17-year-old will be subjected to ballistic examination to identify if it was used in criminal activities. It will also be matched with the empty shells recovered by the Homicide Section during the previous shooting incidents in Inayawan.

 He said they received reports that the suspects in the shooting incidents in the barangay reportedly used a .38 caliber firearm and even bragged about shooting some. The 17-year-old is reportedly the hitman. He and his cohorts reportedly belong to gangs in the area and are allegedly using illegal drugs.

 Bequilla shared it was the 17-year-old who started shooting at the policemen when the latter approached him over an information that he was responsible for the shooting incidents.

“Pagsita namo, niaksiyon siya og dagan unya namusil. Paspas kaayo ang nahitabo,” he said.

 Bequilla said a brief chase took place when the 17-year-old ran toward the interior portion in the area. Some bystanders in the area also started to run when the police arrived and started shooting them.

 The 17-year-old and his cohorts were reportedly already firing at the policemen when the cops were still entering the alley.  (FREEMAN)