Online seller Renevie Tanlangit Inot, 38, was fatally shot while sleeping in her room in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City, at around 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026.
Suspect Jun Abella Cabarrubias, 34, was arrested by responding officers after his .45 pistol jammed, allowing local residents to surround and assault him as he attempted to flee.
Sawang Calero Police Station chief Maj. Noah Labra Añana said the suspect is an alleged hired killer, with investigators exploring illegal drugs as a possible motive for the shooting.
AN ONLINE seller was shot dead while sleeping in her third-floor room in Sitio Lawis, Barangay Pasil, Cebu City, at around 3:10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026.
The victim was identified as Renevie Tanlangit Inot, 38, a resident of the area.
Police identified the suspect as Jun Abella Cabarrubias, 34, a resident of Tupas St., Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City. He was arrested after residents reportedly chased and beat him as he attempted to flee following the shooting.
According to the Sawang Calero Police, Inot was sleeping in her room when Cabarrubias allegedly entered and shot her in the head with a .45 pistol.
The suspect reportedly tried to escape after the shooting, but neighbors who heard the gunfire had gathered on the ground floor of the house.
Residents then allegedly surrounded and assaulted Cabarrubias as he emerged from the house.
Police said Cabarrubias attempted to fire his gun again, but the weapon jammed and failed to discharge.
Responding police officers from the Sawang Calero Police Station arrived shortly after and took the suspect into custody.
Investigators recovered the firearm allegedly used in the shooting. Police said a round remained lodged in the firearm after it reportedly failed to discharge.
Maj. Noah Labra Añana, chief of the Sawang Calero Police Station, said investigators are considering illegal drugs as one possible motive for the killing.
Police are also looking into an allegation that Inot was suspected of being a law enforcement informant who had helped authorities identify individuals allegedly involved in illegal drug activities in Pasil and nearby barangays.
Añana said their investigation also indicated that Cabarrubias was allegedly hired to carry out killings.
“He doesn’t belong to a specific group, but he is allegedly hired whenever someone wants a target hit — mostly those also involved in drugs,” Añana said.
The firearm recovered from the suspect has been submitted for ballistic examination and cross-matching to determine whether it was used in other shooting incidents in Cebu City.
Añana said the examination could help investigators determine whether the firearm was linked to other shooting cases that remain unsolved.
Police are continuing their investigation into the killing, including the identity of the person or persons who may have ordered the attack and the possible motive behind it. / AYB / GPL
