CCPO arrest suspects behind drive-by shootings in Cebu City
By Fayette C. Ri�en
CEBU CITY, February 20 (PIA) -- Several suspects in a spate of drive-by shooting incidents last week were arrested by the Cebu City police since last night.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Chief Col. Melvin Ramon Buenafe said a suspect behind the killing of a member of the Barangay Information Network (BIN) last week was arrested this morning.
Recovered from suspect Arnel Gomez aka Budlat was a 1 KG9 machine pistol, drugs and drug paraphernalia as well as motorcycles, according to Buenafe in a text message sent to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Cebu.
Last Thursday, Catalino Entoma, a BIN member was shot dead by two men on board a motorcycle at the Carbon Public Market in Cebu City
The incident prompted Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to sack the police station commander assigned at Carbon Police Station.
Two other suspects, Joseph Flores and Fer Adlaon, who were allegedly involved in an attempted robbery of foreigners last night, were arrested by the police after a chase and shootout that ended in Mandaue City.
Flores and Adlaon attempted to rob and pistol-whipped a Japanese lady who was with a Taiwanese male after midnight last night along S. Cabahug St. in Mabolo, Cebu City.
Buenafe scored the combined elements of the Motorcycle Response Unit, Cebu City Intelligence Branch and Cebu City Police Station 4 responsible for the arrest of Adlaon and Flores, who was wounded in the leg and currently being treated at the hospital.
Flores and Adlaon also figured in the shooting of by-standers at Gochan St., Mabolo, Cebu City after victimizing the said foreigners.
Recovered from the suspects were their 45 cal. firearm and motorcycle as cases are being prepared for filing, Buenafe disclosed.
Meanwhile, elements of Police Station 2 arrested two persons at Kamputhaw, Cebu City who are suspected as gun for hire elements. Confiscated was an Ingram .9mm machine pistol, the city police chief bared.
Police are now preparing to file the appropriate charges against the suspects while follow-up investigation is being conducted to find the companions of the two arrested persons in the earlier drive-by shootings that transpired in Labangon and Pardo, Cebu City.
Last week alone, three persons were killed while four others were wounded in separate shooting in various areas in Cebu City.
The incidents drew the ire of Rama who ordered Buenafe to speed up and exhaust all efforts to solve the incidents and maintain peace and order.
Buenafe, on the other hand, said they are doing their best to fight and solve criminality in the city as he also urged the public to help the police in maintaining peace and order. (PIA-Cebu)
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Gov't, NGOs provide over P40.6M relief assistance to quake-hit Negor
NDRRMC Updates
CENTRAL VISAYAS, Feb 19 (PIA) -- Combined resources from the NDRRMC, DSWD, DOH, LGUs, and NGOs have provided over P40,641,280-million worth of relief assistance to the affected population in Negros Oriental due to the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the towns of Guihulngan, La Libertad, Tayasan, Vallehermoso, Bindoy, and Manjuyod on February 6.
Based of latest NDRRMC updates as of February 19, there were 320,165 persons or 63,899 families within Central Visayas affected by the earthquake and landslides; these families come from 180 barangays, nine towns, two cities, and two provinces.
According to the same report, 4,790 families or 23,490 persons are housed in 74 evacuation centers while 32,788 affected families are in their respective places all of whom were given relief and financial assistance.
To date, there are reported 51 dead; 24 from Guihulngan; 9 from Jimalud; three from Tayasan; one from Bindoy; two each from Manjuyod and Ayungon; and 10 from La Libertad.
Missing persons recorded at 62, 26 of whom come from Guihulngan and 36 from La Libertad.
Injured persons totaled 112. Seven injured persons come from Negros Occidental and 105 from Negros Oriental covering the towns of Guihulngan-85; La Libertad-6; and Tayasan-13.
Damaged houses were recorded at 15,787 of which 6,352 and 9,435 were totally and partially damaged respectively.
As of 9:00 a.m. February 18, PHILVOCS seismic station in Maasin, Southern Leyte recorded a total of 1,741 aftershocks, 105 of which were felt in the Visayas area, NDRRMC update read. (MBCN/PIA-7)