Wednesday, November 05, 2008 ‘Witnesses to support probe findings’ By Jovy Taghoy-Gerodias Sun.Star Staff Reporter With Mia E. Abellana
THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) 7 is investigating the death of three men to determine if their encounter with the members of the Cebu City Police Office-Task Force Motorsiklo was a shootout or a rubout.
This early, though, the agency’s investigation is hitting a snag as its two witnesses who are supposed to help them are hesitant to issue sworn statements, making it hard for investigators to substantiate initial information gathered.
CHR 7 investigator Primo Cadampog, in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, said the two witnesses narrated to him what they saw Sunday afternoon but are not willing to formalize these statements.
CHR personnel and the witnesses went to the crime scene on M.J. Cuence Ave. for an inspection.
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During the inspection, Cadampog’s team noticed that bullet marks were found only in one direction, which was going toward the wall of a state college.
If there was a shootout, Cadampog said, bullet marks should have been found on the opposite side.
He added that his team found at least four bullet marks at the concrete fence of the school but did not find any at the other side.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador has maintained that Sunday’s incident was a shootout that was triggered after task force members led by Supt. Pablo Labra II and Senior Insp. George Ylanan were fired at by the three men.
The incident killed the three motorcycle riders—Werner Gabucan Ponce, 31, of Sitio Nareja, Lower Kalunasan; and Abran Gabutan Gabato, 28, of Sitio Sandayong,
Guadalupe. The third man was identified by the Homicide Section only as Totong.
Cadampog, however, declined to give the possible indication of his team’s initial findings, citing the lack of witnesses to corroborate these.
12 gunshots
He said one witness was reportedly standing across an automotive spare parts company near the crime scene, while the other was about 75 to 80 meters away.
Cadampog said the first witness narrated that he heard one gunshot; 12 successive shots then followed.
The witness, however, said he failed to see who fired the first shot.
The witness reportedly told Cadampog that he could not say if the fatalities were armed because he did not see them shooting back at the police.
Cadampog said he also went to the Homicide Section yesterday to talk to Senior Insp. Mario Monilar, the section chief, and to get a copy of the spot report on the initial investigation of the police.
Comendador, in a news conference yesterday, said his office is open to the CHR’s investigation, saying it is the job of the agency to look into the incident.
“We cannot stop them from conducting the investigation. Ang mga pulis dili mosugal sa ilang career para magbinuang lang man gani,” he said.
Comendador encouraged those who have witnessed the incident to approach the Homicide Section or the CHR to help in the investigation.
Support
He, however, said that should complaints be filed against his men, he will always stand by them and “support them all the way.”
For his part, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ronald Roderos said the Homicide Section can determine whether the incident was indeed a rubout or a shootout.
“But it is the instinct of our people to preserve their life also. When they are fired upon, they have to fire back. They are dealing with people who are armed and dangerous,” Roderos said yesterday.
As to the gunshot wounds in the heads of the three men, Roderos said they purposely assigned sharpshooters for the task group to make sure violators do not try to test
them.
Comendador also lamented about some sectors who want to “water down” the campaign of the police against motorcycle-riding criminals. He said it demoralizes him and his men, but this will not hamper the CCPO to sustain the campaign.
(November 5, 2008 issue) Write letter to the editor.Click here. ‘Very proud’
Roderos, however, reiterated that Sunday’s incident showed that the task group is effective.
He said he was “very proud” of the CCPO for being able to bring down the crimes perpetrated by motorcycle-riding criminals and for sending out a message to the public.
He also said that congratulations were in order for the task group members for their hard work and their success despite limited resources.
Roderos ordered the creation of Task Force Motorsiklo following the rise in crimes perpetrated by persons using motorcycles as getaway vehicles.
