Tribe member killed in shooting incident

CEBU, Philippines - A member of an indigenous group died after he fired shots at members of the Special Weapons and Tactics in Barangay Agsungot last Sunday night.

Rodelio Montes Estores, 50, of Barangay Busay died after sustaining several gunshot wounds.

Supt. Arnel Banzon, SWAT chief and deputy city director for administration, said Estores attempted to ambush SPO2 Renante Nioda.

Banzon said that they received a message from the Mobile Patrol Group base requesting backup because a group of armed persons were spotted in Barangay Agsungot.

The person who reported it was no less than Agsungot Barangay Captain Anne Alcover.

Personnel from the City Intelligence Branch, Investigation and Detection Management Branch and the Cebu City Public Safety Company also responded to the alarm.

Initial report had it that 30 men armed with long weapons and wearing fatigue uniforms were seen at the area in what appeared to be a meeting.  

When SWAT personnel arrived at the scene, they did not find anything unusual but when they were about to return to base, Estores allegedly opened fire.

Banzon said Nioda was hit but was lucky enough to be wearing a bullet proof vest. The bullet, however, recoiled and a splinter hit his face.

The other SWAT personnel then fired shots at Estores, killing him on the spot.

The responding police officers searched the entire area including the nipa hut where the armed persons allegedly met and recovered a fragmentation grenade, a .357 caliber revolver with three ammunitions, two empty shells of .38 caliber pistol, and a LUMAD identification card.

Ha Datu Bontito Leon Kilat, who introduced himself as the grand chief of the tribe, questioned why his member was killed and why the police did not coordinate with the tribal leaders. What he knew, he said, was that his members were trapped by the police officers.

“Mura og gibaboy nila akong kauban, wala gud na sila katiwas og kaon kay nagluto pa man na sila,” he said.

When asked why his members were armed, he reasoned, “naa man gani nay gwardiya ang mga gagmayng tindahan, kami pa nga kadaku anang yuta nga among bantayan.”

Supt. Romeo Santander, City Intelligence Branch chief of Cebu City Police Office, said the Alimaong or the native warriors are not above the law.

He said that the issue stemmed from a land dispute that is why the armed persons were meeting at the area. Members of the tribe claimed ownership to the piece of land but they were not able to present any document to back their claim.

Banzon, for his part, said the operation was legitimate and the members of the tribe are free to check the records of the alarm at the MPG base.  (FREEMAN)