Lapu-Lapu policemen urged to intensify operations to prevent crimes
Lapu-Lapu City police are encouraged to revive the “One Time, Big Time (OTBT)” operations and focus on their anti-criminality campaign.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza made this call after a recently released detainee, and a construction worker were shot dead while a tricycle driver was wounded in three separate non-election related shooting incidents starting on election day Monday and Tuesday or in a span of 15 hours.
The latest attack happened in midmorning on Tuesday, when motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead 33-year-old construction worker, Jose Zabate, of Barangay Ibo, a few minutes after he attended a court hearing for an illegal drug case at the Lapu-Lapu Hall of Justice.
Supt. Marvin Saraum, investigator of the Homicide Section of LCPO, said Zabate was arrested for selling illegal drugs last 2015 and he posted bail on March 2017.
After the hearing, Zabate left on a motorcycle with his wife as his backrider.
Zabate’s wife told Saraum that at about 10 a.m., they were heading to a medical diagnostic center for her medical examination, but they never reached their destination as two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle followed them and shot Zarate when the couple reached the M.L. Quezon Highway in Barangay Pajo.
Zaraum said Zarate was shot several times with a .45 caliber pistol and was killed after he was hit in the head.
About 14 hours earlier, or at 8 p.m. on Monday, a tricycle driver, Jinky Paulo Apatan, 33, of Sitio Sudtunggan, Barangay Basak, survived a shooting attack by motorcycle-riding assailants as the victim was driving his tricycle along Sitio Suba Masulog in Barangay Basak.
SPO1 Richard Alforque, desk officer of Marigondon Police Station, said that Apatan was wounded in the left leg and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Alforque said that victim, however, identified the shooting suspect as a certain Mo Barack, whom the victim had a misunderstanding a few weeks ago.
About 30 minutes earlier or at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, in Sitio Sta. Maria, Barangay Pusok, Ricardo dela Torre “Kekort” Rafols, 32, of Barangay Pusok was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
Police said that Rafols had just been released from jail for allegedly being involved in illegal drugs.
The victim was sitting on a motorcycle at the side of the road when the assailants arrived and shot him several times with a .45 caliber pistol and a .22 caliber revolver.
With the shooting attacks, Mayor Radaza also encouraged the police to strictly implement the ordinance on prohibiting motorcycle riders from wearing full face helmets and face masks.
She said that the police could coordinate with the City Traffic Management System (CTMS) in conducting their operations.
Supt. Rex Lomente, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) operations chief, said with the election over, they would now focus on conducting simultaneous checkpoints and operations against wanted persons and loose firearms.
Lomente said that they were willing to implement the face mask ban however they were not sure on how to do this.
“We just want to clarify about its implementation, whether or not, if the police will need to arrest those who violate the the ordinance or just impose fines,” he said.