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Monday, October 06, 2003
Rob shootout: cop hurt, suspect slain
CEBU -- All for P121 and a cab driver's personal items, a suspected robber was shot dead after shooting a policeman who was chasing him at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City Sunday dawn.
The bullet of a .38 revolver went through the right arm of PO2 Greg Banaag, of the Mobile Patrol Group, and into his body, barely hitting the spinal cord.
But suspected robber Vicente Frasco, 22, did not survive his injury after PO2 Nedarico Nengasca Jr., of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team, shot him in the abdomen.
He died at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
Frasco, a member of the anti-crime volunteer group Lungsod Batok Salaod (Lubas), allegedly robbed cab driver Bonifacio Valendez of the cash and his belongings.
Valendez was driving his Lona Taxi (GVZ 946) near the Mandaue Coliseum when Frasco stopped him and asked to be brought to the Queensland Motel.
When they reached S. Osmeņa St. near the WG&A building in the North Reclamation Area at 12:13 a.m., Frasco suddenly pulled out a .357 revolver and poked it at Valendez.
Valendez tried to wrestle with Frasco for the firearm. In the scuffle, the two landed outside. One of them accidentally pulled the trigger, hitting the taxi's front tire.
Frasco broke free, forcing Valendez to run for fear of getting shot. Valendez sustained several bruises as a result of the scuffle.
Frasco then went back to the taxicab to get Valendez's black belt bag containing a wallet with P121 cash, reading glasses, a screwdriver and a T-shirt before running towards the Prince Warehouse Club.
Valendez called for police assistance. The Mabolo Police requested the MPG to respond because the station was busy with another alarm.
MPG cars 237, 238 and 239 were immediately sent to the area. Policemen found Valendez near the WG&A building. He told them that Frasco ran towards Prince Warehouse Club.
Banaag and Nengrasca proceeded to a dark area where used tires were stacked. The rest of the group went in separate directions.
The two policemen pointed their flashlights at the tires and spotted Frasco hiding there.
Nengasca fired a warning shot and called for him to surrender.
"Bay, mga polis mi. Gawas nalang diha (This is the police. Surrender)," Nengrasca reportedly said.
However, Frasco chose to ignore the warning and fired at Banaag instead.
Seeing that his fellow policeman was hit, Nengrasca fired at Frasco and called for the other policemen to help.
Nengrasca rushed Banaag to the Chong Hua Hospital while the other policemen brought Frasco to the CCMC.
Teams from the Theft and Robbery Section and Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau arrived to help in the investigation.
On the way to CCMC, police recovered Valendez' belt bag.
Members of the Swat team later found at the scene Frasco's homemade .357 magnum with two empty shells and one live bullet in its chamber.
Banaag underwent surgery at 1 p.m. Sunday, and was reported to be out of harm's way. MEA/Sun.Star Cebu
(October 6, 2003 issue)
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