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Sunday, November 13, 2005
Cops kill gardener in shootout, hunt 2 more
A MAN was killed in a shootout when policemen responded to the reported presence of armed men who tried to rob a businessman along Asin Road early Saturday morning.
Police are now hunting his two cohorts who managed to evade arrest.
The fatality was named on records at the Baguio Memorial Chapels Saturday night as Ephraim Montes, of legal age, a gardener from Kabayan, Benguet, who resided at San Carlos Heights, Irisan.
He was reportedly identified when relatives claimed his remains at the BMC morgue at around 4PM yesterday since police found no identification documents in his possession after the shootout.
Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, Baguio City Police Office director, meanwhile named the intended robbery victim as Vic Rafanan.
Police said a follow-up probe was still being conducted to confirm whether the gun used by the slain suspect was stolen from a member of the Cordillera People's Liberation Army who has since been integrated into the Philippine Army's Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit, during a drinking spree in Tam-awan, Pinsao Proper, a few hours earlier.
An initial probe disclosed that a group of policemen responded to a call for assistance after several armed men tried to rob Rafanan along the circumferential stretch of Asin Road at around 2:20 a.m.
Responding team then noticed three men walking along the road and approached them while introducing themselves as policemen.
However, Montes allegedly drew a handgun and started shooting at the policemen, prompting the latter to return fire. The bullets fired from Montes's gun hit the right front passenger door of the white Toyota Corolla mobile patrol car bearing license plate number SFS-723.
Montes died on the spot after sustaining five gunshot wounds on different parts of his body. His two companions reportedly scampered towards different directions and evaded arrest.
Recovered at the scene of the shootout later was a caliber .38 Armscor Special Edition revolver bearing serial number A-471530 loaded with five spent shells and one live bullet.
The fatality's remains was transferred to the BMC morgue afterwards for a post-mortem autopsy examination.
At around 9 p.m., a member of a CPLA unit assigned in Benguet, who had been integrated into the CAFGU earlier, was hacked with a machete or bolo on different parts of his body by another CPLA member from Abra, after he inquired about the loss of his firearm during a drinking spree they were having with friends in Tam-awan, Pinsao Proper.
Nerez identified the hacking victim as Virgilio Balting Payaket, 40, married, a CPLA Benguet member from Tubo, Abra, who resides at Longlong, Pinsao Proper.
His assailant was also named as Winnie Molina, another CPLA member from Daguioman, Abra.
An initial investigation showed that both were having a drinking spree with friends while playing pool in Tam-awan, when Payaket reportedly noticed that his traveling bag was opened and his caliber .38 revolver missing, prompting him to inquire from Molina about it.
This apparently irked Molina, who allegedly hacked Payaket, hitting him on the forehead or temporal area and right palm. After Payaket was able to disarm Molina, the latter fled from the area.
Payaket was rushed to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center emergency ward where he was treated for his lacerations.
Nerez said both cases were still undergoing follow-up probes Saturday to confirm if they were related and if some of the people involved in both cases were the same.
This resulted after the investigator handling the hacking case, senior police officer Reynald Balla of BCPO Station 2, revealed that Payaket's bag was also found in the shootout scene along Asin Road yesterday.
"When they came to report the incident that same night while still under the influence of liquor, he claimed that a gun was stolen from his bag. However, after his bag was returned to him and had already regained his right senses, he now denies having any gun in it earlier," Balla added. (Ernie Olson Jr.)
(November 13, 2005 issue)
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