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Friday, September 15, 2006
Student’s death spurs Cebu cops
By Jovy S. Taghoy Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Rene H. Martel
A student was shot dead in a jeepney robbery Wednesday night, raising questions on the effectiveness of increased police visibility as Cebu prepares for an international summit.
Carmela C. Cabañog, a third-year computer science major of the University of Cebu, died of a gunshot wound in her chest, before reaching the Cebu City Medical Center. She was 19.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. called for a 10 a.m. conference today with officials of the Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu police, to reassess how well they’ve fielded operatives in these cities.
A robber shot and killed Carmela at 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, because she refused to surrender a borrowed cell phone. The gunman remains unidentified and at large.
City Hall will give P5,000 as assistance to the family of the university student, who lived with relatives in Inayawan, Cebu City.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña is making an exception to his rule that only crime victims who are registered voters in Cebu City can get monetary aid from City Hall.
“Kini estudyante man ni diri (She was a student here) so I’m willing to make an exception,” he said over radio dyLA.
Despite the attack, however, Osmeña said peace and order in Cebu City is better than in previous years.
Before the attack on Cabañog, he said, he already talked with Director Alarcio on improving police visibility in Cebu City, with the rookie police from Mindanao who are in town in preparation for the Asean summit in December.
Ruthless
“Peace and order has improved, but we cannot eliminate crime, which is a phenomenon nga dili mawala, even in the US,” he said.
Jeepney driver Manuel Nadela, 37, and his wife, Joice, 40, recalled that Cabañog was seated at the right side of the jeepney, just two passengers away from the entrance.
The armed robber, on the other hand, positioned himself on the vehicle’s stepboard and held on to the jeepney’s overhead rail.
The Nadela couple told SPO3 Alex Dacua, homicide investigator, that Cabañog was seen taking the cellular phone out from her handbag to check it.
As soon as she put it back, the robber allegedly uttered, “Mao ra ni akong tuyo (That’s what I’m after),” and simultaneously tried to snatch the handbag from Cabañog.
Cabañog resisted, held on to her handbag and said, “Di ko ni hatag nimo, oy. Ayaw lagi. (You’re not taking this from me.)”
At that point, the robber then took a handgun and shot Cabañog once, hitting her in the chest.
1,000 cops
Mobile Patrol Group policemen rushed Cabañog to the city hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival.
The Nadela couple and a male passenger, who was seated in front of Cabañog, described the robber as good-looking, of medium build, about 5’2" and 19 to 22 years old. He wore a navy blue shirt and denim shorts.
Police later found Cabañog’s handbag on Highway Tagonol. The phone was missing.
A combined team from the Homicide Section and the Mambaling Police Station invited two young men, both from Barangay Mambaling, but they were released yesterday afternoon after the witnesses cleared them of any involvement in the robbery.
The attack prompted a review, scheduled today, of the police augmentation forces sent to the different crime-prone or critical areas in the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Cebu.
Alarcio explained that more than 1,000 police operatives from outside Cebu were deployed months before the December summit, so they could help maintain order and help solve crimes.
Don’t fight
Cebu City Police Director Melvin Gayotin, in a separate interview, said that Director Alarcio has ordered him to beef up police visibility in Barangays Mambaling, Pardo, Duljo-Fatima and other communities in the south.
Gayotin and Alarcio have observed that following the increased visibility in parts of Cebu City, the robbers and other petty criminals have shifted their operations to the interior parts of the city.
Gayotin also hopes that the Integrated Bar of the Philippines will help the police in prosecuting these criminals.
While Alarcio and Gayotin maintained that crime rates in Cebu have been decreasing, the police officials advised that whenever they fall prey to robbers, they should just give the cash or valuables to avoid getting hurt.
What they can do is try to remember the faces of the perpetrators and give the police detailed descriptions.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 15, 2006 issue)
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