Friday, May 23, 2008 Witness quest fizzles after driver’s death
WITH the death of retired Master Sgt. Henry Comandao, the Cebu City police now has slimmer chances of finding possible witnesses in the May 12 ambush in Sitio Oppra Unit 5 in Barangay Kalunasan.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said they were hoping that Coman-dao would survive from the gunshot wound he suffered during the ambush.
“Had he survived, he could have told us about the identities of the perpetrators and the circumstances of the attack,” Comendador said.
Fight for life
The police learned that Comandao died last Tuesday morning after fighting for his life at the Intensive Care Unit of the Perpetual Succour Hospital for a week.
Comandao was the owner and driver of the white Hyundai van (GPZ 457) rented by Evelyn Magno in fetching the latter’s husband, Jose Mecias Magno, and Medase Castro at the Cebu City Jail in Kalunasan.
Jose and Castro, who were suspected to be members of a swindling syndicate “Budol-Budol Gang”, were earlier arrested for duping a 75-year-old pensioner.
Arrested
The two were also arrested for allegedly trying to bribe the arresting police officers from the Theft and Robbery Section.
Jose and Castro have posted bail bonds for the complaints filed against them and have just been fetched by Evelyn at the city jail when the attack occurred.
Castro and the Magno couple died during the attack. Comandao, who was not spared by the perpetrators, suffered a gunshot wound and was confined at the hospital until his death last Tuesday. (JST)
