JAIL OFFICER SURVIVES AMBUSH

LOOKING FOR CLUES. A Scene of the Crime Operative looks for clues and evidence in the bullet-riddled vehicle of Jail Inspector Edwin Sarcon, who survived an ambush by motorcycle-riding gunmen, at the corner of R. Duterte St. and V. Rama Ave. in Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe on Monday. CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

Slay-attempt is 11th attack by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Metro Cebu in 9 days

Masked assailants riding on a motorbike struck again on Monday.

The victim was an officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Central Visayas (BJMP-7) who was lucky enough to escape as the bullet only grazed his neck.

The attack on Insp. Edwin Sarcon was the 11th to take place in Metro Cebu from March 11 to 19 by still unidentified assailants in motorcycles.
Of the 11 victims in these separate attacks, only Sarcon survived.

But police officials assured that there was nothing to be alarmed of in the peace and order situation in Metro Cebu since these attacks were unrelated and motivated by personal grudges.

They also assured that the police were looking into these attacks in a bid to identify the perpetrators and arrest them.

On Monday morning, Sarcon was driving his Isuzu MU-X from his home in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City to the BJMP-7 office in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, to report for work.

While passing by the corner of R. Duterte and V. Rama Avenue, about 300 meters from his work place, two men fired at his vehicle past 7 a.m.

One assailant covered his face with a scarf while the other wore a face mask and a helmet.

The two perpetrators boarded a motorcycle driven by another man after they peppered Sarcon’s car with bullets.

Senior Insp. Jonathan Taneo, chief of the Homicide Division of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said Sarcon first heard a burst of gunfire that hit his car.

When he looked around, Sarcon saw one of the gunmen approaching him.

Taneo said Sarcon tried to fire back but his gun malfunctioned.

Sarcon quickly disembarked from the vehicle and ran toward a nearby public market before he proceeded to the BJMP-7 office.
Sarcon, 53, sustained a graze on his neck.

Police recovered four empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol and three empty shells of 9 mm pistol. “Mr. Sarcon was still in a state of shock and was still unable to give clear testimonies of what happened,” Taneo said.

Sarcon was the lone survivor in the 11 attacks in Metro Cebu from March 11 to 19 that victimized 11 persons.

But Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the CCPO, assured there was no cause for alarm since the killings were isolated and were likely caused by personal grudges.

“The killings were done at random. The victims were not connected with each other, and the motive behind the killings were likely personal grudges, love triangle, or failure to remit proceeds of illegal drugs,” he said.

Doria said all killings were seriously investigated by the police.

On Sarcon’s slay-try, he said investigators were considering the jail official’s former assignment as assistant warden of the Talisay City Jail which was strafed by armed men on different occasions last year.

Chief Supt. Arnold Buenacosa, BJMP-7 director, said they were conducting a separate investigation to find out why the perpetrators wanted to kill Sarcon.

“There is a possibility that this is work related. But let’s wait for the outcome of the investigation. For now, everything are assumptions. We can’t make any conclusions yet,” he said. Buenacosa said he already alerted all BJMP personnel to be careful at all times.

“We should not be afraid and instead continue with our work,” he said.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña assured the public that the city remains safe.

“I think the killings are not related. There seems to be no common denominator among them. More or less the style of the criminality, that’s been very common today. A more effective way of killing somebody is to ambush him, in a motorcycle. But I’ll be deeply concerned if there’s only one group behind all of this,” he said.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor on police matters, said the city government is still assessing whether or not to follow the ban imposed by Mandaue City on the use of face masks among motorcycle riders.

“In the meantime, we have been requesting the police to increase their visibility on major thoroughfares, and in traffic prone areas especially since these incidents happened during peak hours,” he said.

Tumalak pointed out that attacks usually happened during heavy traffic but such crimes may be prevented by the presence of police in these traffic-prone areas.

Osmeña also urged the police to act and react on the complaints regarding the series of killings in Metro Cebu raised by ordinary citizens.

Doing so, he added, could encourage the public to cooperate with their investigations.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Chief Insp. Jimmy Fortes of the Traffic Division said they were currently conducting an information drive on the ordinance that prohibits motorcycle riders from wearing face masks and tinted visors.

He said a 15-day information drive is being conducted before the ordinance will be implemented on April 1, 2018.

First-time offenders will receive a warning. A second violation is penalized by a fine of P500 and P750 for a third offense. The penalty increases to P1,000 for a fourth offense.

Arvin Odron, director of the Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas (CHR-7), said they were monitoring the series of killings in Metro Cebu to find out whether these were state-sanctioned or were tolerated by the government.

“The concept of extrajudicial killing includes the failure of the government to conduct a thorough investigation on a particular case,” he said.

The CHR-7, he said, condemns all killings, saying it is blatant disrespect and disregard of human life, the most fundamental right.

“The right to life which is a natural right can’t even be derogated by the government in the exercise of its inherent police power, how much more by individuals,” he added.

Gordon Alan “Dondi” Joseph, president of the Cebu Business Club, said these “shocking statistics are indicative of a sense of lawlessness.”

“Business is not being affected although if this trend continues, then tourism will be the first sector to be affected,” said Joseph.

He said there seems to be an element of apathy, from certain sectors of society believing that these killings are unimportant but necessary if they are targeted against alleged criminals.

“This attitude and apathy will only promote more lawlessness which runs contrary to everyone’s goals for a peaceful, sophisticated society,”he added. /with reports from Ador Vincent S. Mayol and Cris Evert Lato-Ruffolo