Chatto junks ‘vigilante’ tag in series of shootings

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines, Philippines – Governor Edgar Chatto dismissed insinuations that a vigilante group has been behind the series of shooting incidents, of which most of the victims were known law offenders in illegal drugs, theft and robbery.

Since all gunmen in the shooting incidents remained at large, suspicions arose that a vigilante group, inspired by the so-called Death Squad in another province, stepped in to send a message. The governor and the police however junked this angle.

One of the six incidents cited, 16-year-old Steve Bulatete of Poblacion 3 in this city, was shot dead while riding on a motorcycle with his parents across the Capitol building on Wednesday night last week. The boy was a suspect in earlier cases of car thievery and was recently tagged in stealing a service firearm of a security guard. The victim’s mother helped him recover the gun from a buyer and surrendered it to authorities before the boy was killed. Bulatete reportedly escaped from custody of the DSWD in Argao, Cebu.

In another case, 36-year-old security guard Agalito Fabiosa was shot dead Monday night at the public market of Calape, Bohol. He was on his way home from work when motorcycle-riding men shot him four times with a .45-caliber gun. Calape Police investigators admitted having a hard time getting any lead in the killing although it was known that the victim was a police asset in the campaign against illegal activities in the town.

Last August 26, Dominador Arcales was killed in Clarin town by three men, wearing hooded jackets and riding two motorcycles, who took turns in shooting him while sitting on his own motorcycle. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The police opined it could be another drug-related incident.

At past midnight of August 21, 33-year-old Rolando Insila, a suspected drug personality, was shot dead by riding-in-tandem men at Talibon town. He was one of those tagged in the murder of Ubay Police chief George Caña and had been in the police watch-list of drug personalities in Talibon.

Emmanuel Padua, a suspect in theft and robbery incidents, was also shot at past 10:45 p.m. on August 17 at Poblacion 2 in Tagbilaran City. The 33-year-old Padua, a native of Cavite and residing at Barangay Cogon in this city, sustained gunshot wounds on his forehead and left cheek, but survived and was treated at a hospital in the city. Investigators recovered two sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia from Padua’s possession.

Padua, however, fled the hospital at 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday last week. The nurses and other hospital staff then were busy with other patients, according to the hospital’s chief security officer. The CCTV footage showed Padua left the hospital without being properly discharged, passing through the main gate, wearing jacket and a watcher’s ID.

On August 13, an alleged drug personality, identified as 34-year-old William Tan Velez, alias Gudo, a native of Cortes town was shot dead by the roadside of Tamblot Street, near the corner of B. Inting Street in this city.