Saturday, July 03, 2004 Robbers shoot priest for phone near Vidal home By Mia E. Abellana & Jovy S. Taghoy With Rene H. Martel
CEBU CITY -- A new priest was robbed of his cellular phone and shot in the right palm after hesitating to give it to two motorcycle-riding men at 6:30 a.m. Friday.
Fr. Mhar Balili, 27, who was ordained last June 22, was walking along D. Jakosalem St., Cebu City and sending a text message when two men suddenly approached him and announced a hold-up.
He was attacked about 10 meters from the Archbishop's Palace.
The attack prompted Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal to request for police visibility, if possible, on D. Jakosalem St. Balili was on his way to the Archbishop's Palace to have breakfast with the cardinal.
"Although the area is near a police station, it is less visited by law enforcers," Cardinal Vidal said.
Vidal said the crimes occurring in the D. Jakosalem area, where the Archbishop's Palace is located, are becoming alarming. He cited the fatal shooting last March 4 of Hindang, Leyte Mayor Roy Jumao-as and his 26-year-old son Jake in front of their apartment.
Two alleged gunmen, including a policeman, were arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch (CIIB) and are now facing murder cases in court.
The prelate also narrated that about two years ago, a robber tried to break into the palace.
"I pity those people who are passing by, coming in and out (of the palace), especially during nighttime," Vidal said.
According to CIIB Chief Pablo Labra II, Balili ran but fell, prompting his rider to use a .45 pistol to shoot Balili.
Already wounded, Balili surrendered his Nokia 3650 phone after the rider got off the motorcycle and was about to shoot him again.
After they took his phone, the two men sped off to Ranudo St. and disappeared.
The priest was rushed to the Perpetual Succour Hospital, but is now out of danger.
A team from the Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) happened to pass by minutes later and learned from bystanders that a robbery just took place.
Together with members of the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG), they searched the surrounding streets, but did not find any suspects.
Balili told them that the red motorcycle's plate number was GS 3756, though he isn't sure if he mixed up the last two digits.
Labra traced the first plate number to a man from Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City. He has sent his men to look for owner and find out what the motorcycle looks like.
The incident was just a stone's throw away from the guardhouse of the Archbishop's Palace, but the guards did not see anything because of the high wall of the compound.
Both robbers were reportedly in their 20s.
TRS Chief Ambrosio Ibones said they are backtracking on personalities in their records to see if they have been involved in the robbery.
Cardinal Vidal, in a separate interview, pointed out that the community should also be vigilant.
Vidal learned that Fr. Balili was texting in the street when the perpetrators pounced on him.
"Be careful. Do not show what you have to the public. You also pray to your guardian angel before you leave the house," Vidal said.
Acting Cebu City Police Director Melvin Gayotin said he will refer the request for police visibility to Chief Insp. Joseph Ocaya, chief of the Parian police precinct, whose area includes D. Jakosalem St.
Gayotin assured that Cardinal Vidal's request will be given action and that Ocaya will reevaluate criminality in the area.
Balili, in an interview at the Perpetual Succour Hospital, considered his survival as his second lease on life.
"They could have killed me. Pagti-on sa pusil sa akoa, wa ko'y laing nasulti, `Lord, tabangi ko' (When they poked the gun at me, all I could say was, `Lord, help me')," he said.
Balili said that when the two first approached, he immediately crossed the street to avoid them.
One of the robbers, however, caught up with Balili and held his hair, forcing the priest to hand over his cellular phone.
At this instance, Balili said, the perpetrator pulled out a pistol from his waistband.
Balili said he immediately dropped to the ground, face down, and a gunshot rang out.
With the aid of a female helper at the Centennial House (located inside the Archbishop's Palace), Balili was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Balili told reporters Friday that he was already declared out of danger, although he had to be admitted for an operation.
Fr. Carmelo Diola, Barug Pilipino convenor, who visited Balili Friday at the hospital, is optimistic the police will give the incident top priority.
Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Isabelo Abarquez and several newly ordained priests also visited Balili at the hospital.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeņa said the police must also try looking into the possibility that the robbery could be drug-related.
Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem proposed the creation of an anti-crime task force whose specific task will be to address crime.
That way, authorities can approach the problem in a "more scientific way" and not the "reactionary" way the police are employing, he said.
Osmeņa said the City Government is willing to spend just to bring foreign trainers who will orient the task force's members.
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