BECAUSE he helped victims of theft in the streets of Colon, a 43-year-old amateur boxer who worked as a dispatcher was shot dead on Wednesday night.
That, while an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher also sustained a minor gunshot wound on her shoulder during the incident where two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen shot them in front of an appliance store in Colon St.
“Mura man gud ni’g hero ning tawhana sa mga matulisan diha sa Colon kay gukdon man niya ang snatcher ug mangunguot, unya iyang i-turn over dayon sa pulis (He’s like a hero to victim of theft in Colon because he’s the one who run after snatchers and pickpockets and bring them to the police),” PO3 Edario Manatad of the Homicide section said.
The victim was identified as Henry “Boxer” Fabillar Jr., who had a child and a live-in partner.
According to Fabillar’s partner, the victim already received numerous death threats from the snatchers and thieves he helped place behind bars during the month of August.
“Gibaharan ni siya sa mga snatcher dinha nga ‘Pa hero-hero ka ha, salig boxer ka ha’. Daghang galagot niya dinha (He was threatened by the snatchers ‘You act like you’re a real hero just because you’re a boxer’ He made many enemies there),” Manatad said.
Based on the records of Police Station 5, Fabillar was included in the watchlist as a user.
Assilants
At around 10:50 p.m., while the victim was in his usual place to work as a jeepney dispatcher, two unidentified assailants on board a motorcycle approached him.
The back rider disembarked, pulled his gun and started shooting at the victim who fell on the ground.
The rider then threw a cardboard with the words “PUSHER USER KO” then sped off to the Fuente area, while the second victim identified as Merrychrist Tagsip, 25, was hit on her left shoulder by a stray bullet.
Recovered from the crime scene were four empty shells of caliber 45, a deformed slug and one fired bullet.
Fabillar’s death marked the 127th death of individuals under the hands of unknown assailants since July 1.
A hot pursuit operation was conducted by elements of the Police Station 2 and Police Station 5 in the hopes to catch the gunmen.
Meanwhile, a construction worker was killed in Barangay Apas when he was stabbed in the back that led to his death.
Police identified the victim as Melvin Manhihilot, 29.
San Fernando
In Barangay Balud, San Fernando, a suspected drug personality was shot to death by two unidentified men riding on a motorcycle last Wednesday morning.
PO3 Marjokim Misuari said the victim, identified as John Carl Cañares, 34, succumbed to gunshot wounds in the head and body.
Cañares last month surrendered to the police and promised not to engage in illegal drug trade anymore.
As of 6 a.m. yesterday, the police said 106 drug pushers were killed in legitimate operations, while 126 died after they were attacked by unknown assassins.
Most deaths occurred in Cebu Province where 47 drug pushers were killed by operatives after they engaged in a shootout, while 44 others were executed by unidentified assailants.
Police Regional Office 7 Director Noli Taliño said most of the men killed by motorbike-riding personalities were engaged in illegal drug trade.
He further said 2,032 drug dealers and junkies were arrested by anti-narcotics operatives from the police offices of Cebu Province, Mandaue City, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Bohol, Siquijor, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7, Regional Special Operations Group, and Regional Public Safety Batallion 7.
The Cebu Provincial Police Office scored the most arrests with 646 pushers and users.
Riding-in-tandem
In the San Fernando incident, Cañares was sitting on a concrete bench of a waiting shed in Sitio Magtalisay, Balud before he was shot at 11:20 a.m.
Witnesses told the police that two men riding on a motorcycle arrived and the back rider shot the victim several times. Misuari said the witnesses failed to see the assailants’ faces because they wore full-faced helmets.
The medical personnel of San Fernando, on board an ambulance, passed by the area after the shooting happened. They rushed the victim to the Carcar City Provincial Hospital, where he later died.
The responding investigators led by SPO1 Francisco Salubre found four empty shells of a pistol from the crime scene.
Misuari said the victim’s death may have something to do with his alleged involvement in illegal drug trade.
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 inmates of Mandaue City Jail yesterday took oath not to engage in illegal drug activities inside the facility before Taliño and city officials.
“The inmates, specially the drug offenders, took pledge to support the campaign against illegal drugs,” said Taliño.