Two ex-cons nabbed after shooting another ex-con

CEBU, Philippines - Two ex-convicts were arrested after they allegedly shot and injured another ex-convict in Barangay Suba yesterday morning.

The victim, William Laborte, 29, identified the perpetrators as alleged hitman Arnel Gomez alias Budlat, 36, and Daniel Ongco, 29.

Senior Insp. Eunil Avergonzado, chief of San Nicolas Police Station, said the suspects were allegedly not in good terms with Laborte when they were still imprisoned at the Cebu City Jail. The three were just recently released.

Laborte was reportedly standing in sitio Wakwak at 8 am yesterday when the two armed suspects arrived and shot him.

The victim, who sustained gunshot wounds in his stomach and right arm, was taken to the Cebu City Medical Center while the suspects fled.

Responding policemen from San Nicolas Police Station eventually cornered the suspects who hid at their respective houses and arrested them.

Police also went to the hospital where the victim named Gomez and Ongco as the ones who shot him.

A slug of a caliber .45 pistol was recovered from the crime scene.

Both suspects denied the accusations, saying they had no idea about what happened.

Based on the victim’s account, he reportedly did not expect that Gomez, who was imprisoned at the City Jail for murder and illegal possession of firearm cases, would be released.

“Sa prisohan pa lang nagsige na na’ sila ug riot-riot ug kaning si Warlito wa mag-expect nga makagawas pa sa prisohan si Budlat, (Even in prison they were always involved in riots and Warlito did not expect that Budlat will be released from jail.)” said Avergonzado.

Avergonzado said Gomez has been implicated in a number of incidents in the past, one of which was the shootout with personnel of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team last February.

Meanwhile, a motorcycle-for-hire driver was wounded 10:30PM, last Tuesday at Sitio Kanaas Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.

The victim was identified as Renante Maloon, 29 years old, driver of a motorcycle-for-hire and a resident of the mentioned place. The suspect is identified as a certain Jerome Saballa, of legal age and a resident of Sitio Kalubihan Banawa, of the said barangay.

Initial investigation conducted by responding officers of the Homicide Section of Cebu City Police Office shows that Saballa had a drinking session with friends near the house of his friend Joan Gordon when trouble occurred between him and his neighbors Shiela and Randolf Barral.

Saballa drove a motorcycle and nearly hit Randolf but after a few minutes, he came back on foot and shot the victim who was talking with a certain Nilo Sebios several meters away.

Saballa then walked away while the victim was then rushed by his brother Ryan Maloon to Cebu City Medical Center for immediate medical treatment after he was wounded in the head.

Ryan said the suspect figured in a fistfight with the victim some time ago, which may be the reason for the shooting. –with Cathlene Lou G. Tacoloy/MIT