Amid poll gun ban: 12 dead in shootings in 6 days

CEBU, Philippines — Despite the election gun ban, multiple shooting incidents claimed at least 12 lives all over Metro Cebu.

Three days after the election gun ban took effect on January 13, two people were shot dead in separate incidents.

They were Johnny Arriesgado, incumbent barangay captain of Magsico of San Fernando town, and Lyndie Belila, a watchman in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City.

Arriesgado and two other town councilors were arrested for illegal possession of firearms in July 2017.

The following day, January 17, former Cebu City assistant prosecutor Mary Ann Castro was ambushed and killed on Escario Street in uptown Cebu City.

Authorities are looking into Castro’s job as a prosecutor as one of the major motives for her killing, but they are also not discounting the involvement of drugs with Castro’s past affiliation with the controversial cop, SPO1 Adonis Dumpit.

Prior to Castro’s death, she was assigned as a prosecutor in Masbate after a 90-day preventive suspension for a series of administrative charges over her conflict with some members of the family of her estranged husband, Leodegreco Sanchez, the son of the late Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez.

Castro was involved in a number of controversies and was suspended twice before she resigned in April 2017.

On January 20, a habalhabal (motorcycle-for-hire) driver, who was only identified as "idol,” was shot dead in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City while waiting for passengers.

The next day, three died during an altercation. They were father and son, Edwin and Shaun Bacaltos, and Vanzant Navales.

Navales armed with a gun went to Bacaltos’ house on J. Alcantara Street in Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City. He was accompanied by his three friends.

Navales reportedly shot Edwin and Shaun dead. Edwin’s other son, Michael, also killed Navales.

Michael admitted the crime, saying it was to defend his family. Navales’ friends, however, have yet to be identified.

On January 22, Barangay Captain Ricardo "Nonoy" Reluya, the husband of San Fernando City Mayor Lakambini Reluya, was killed along with their driver and one of the mayor’s staff in an ambush in Talisay City.

The mayor, who was with her husband, suffered a gunshot wound to her arm. She survived.

On the same day, two residents of Purok Lemon Grass, Barangay Tubod in Minglanilla town were shot dead.

On January 24, Prevention Restoration Orderly Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) team leader, Arnulfo "Anol" Cadungog, the younger brother of former Tejero captain Jessielou Cadungog, was shot in his usual drop off spot.

As of this writing, the Probe team leader is still in an unstable condition.

At a press conference Wednesday, Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office (PRO) regional director, admitted police failed to cover everything during checkpoints as they can only do a visual search.

"Kung mo agi lang didto (checkpoint), itago lang nila, dili na makit-an. Dili mo pwede magpa abli og glove compartment and trunks kun dili sila mo sugot. Dili mi pwede mag panaog sa tawo nga naa sa sakyanan," he said.

He said police have to follow the checkpoint guidelines issued by the Commission on Elections.

However, Sinas assured that the police are doing their best to prevent shooting incidents. — USC Intern Micole Gerard J. Tizon and USJ-R Intern Imarie Jane D. Madarieta, KBQ (FREEMAN)