Chase in Lapu-Lapu leaves man wounded

CEBU, Philippines - An armed tricycle driver who was chasing what he described was a "suspicious" man ended up being shot by a cop in civilian attire Thursday afternoon in Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City.

The tricycle driver was later identified as Marvin Villanueva, 30, who lives in Sitio Matumbo in Barangay Pusok while the man he was chasing was Marvin Ybañez, 29, of Sitio Gabi, Barangay Gun-ob.

Dressed in civilian attire, Police Officer 3 Joseph Villamor of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office-City Intelligence Branch responded to the alarm.

Police Officer Jose Nalzaro of LCPO said based on their initial investigation, the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. along Matumbo road in Barangay Pusok.

Ybañez was then driving along the road and stopped to check his vehicle due to engine failure.

When he was about to leave the area, five strangers with unidentified guns allegedly approached him.

Someone from the group allegedly pointed a gun to Ybañez telling him not to move.

A scared Ybañez scampered towards Sitio Sewage of the same barangay, prompting Villanueva to fire his unlicensed .357 revolver at him but was not able to hit the target.

Police said Villamor passed by the area riding his motorcycle and saw Villanueva chasing Ybañez on the street.

Villamor responded to the chasing scene and identified himself as a policeman. He ordered Villanueva to put down his firearm but the latter refused.

This left Villamor to shoot Villanueva hitting him in the left thigh.

Meanwhile, one of Villanueva's group mates named Gerald Zozobrado, who was armed with an improvised firearm or "pugakhang," fired back at Villamor but failed to hit him.

Zozobrado was the husband of Evan, who was wounded in the chest in a recent shooting while they were sleeping Wednesday dawn inside their house in Pusok.

He was believed to be Villanueva's neighbor in the barangay and sought the latter's help in seeking justice for his wounded wife.

Nalzaro said Villanueva and the rest of his group are suspecting that Ybañez was the one who shot the couple.

Police authorities and Special Weapon and Tactics Team responded to the incident and searched the area but the suspect's group immediately fled from the scene.

It was Villanueva who was arrested after hiding inside the house of certain Jessie Aytona.

Recovered from the crime scene was a .357 revolver with no permit, five live ammunitions and one empty shell on its cylinder.

The suspect was brought by the responding Emergency Response Unit Foundation to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center after being shot in his thigh.

A hot pursuit operation is conducted for the possible arrest of the other members of the group who escaped in the middle of arrest. (FREEMAN)