Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) of the Cebu City Police Office process the area where the shooting incident happened in Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City on January 21, 2019, which claimed three lives – Vanzant Navalez (seen sprawled on the street); and Edwin Bacaltos and his son Shaun Edwin (not in photo). | CDND File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The murder complaint against a suspect in the shootout among members of two feuding families in Sambag I on January 21 has been downgraded to homicide.
The Cebu City Prosecutors Office today lodged the homicide case against Vincent Navales before the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City, which was assigned to Branch 58.
Navales was one of the five people involved in the shootout in Barangay Sambag I, Cebu City that resulted to the death of Edwin Bacaltos, 58, and his son, Shaun Edwin, 22. Navales’ brother, Vanzant, was also killed in the same incident.
The shootout occured after the Navales brothers, allegedly armed and in the company of three other persons, went to the house of the Bacaltos family early in the morning of January 21, and engaged the members of the Bacaltos family in a shouting match, which escalated into a shooting incident.
Vincent was allegedly involved in the shootout with the Bacaltoses after the former saw his brother Vanzant got shot by Michael Bacaltos, another son of Edwin.
Michael, who had earlier been charged with homicide and frustrated homcide, has reportedly admitted to the police that he shot Vanzant after he saw the latter allegedly shoot his father Edwin.
A copy of the information lodged before the Cebu City RTC, which was provided to members of the media today, showed that the prosecutor’s office has recommended a P120,000 bail for Vincent. The resolution was signed by Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Rodulph Joseph Val Carillo.
Vincent and his companions fled after the shooting incident, leaving behind the dead Vanzant. Their whereabouts remained unknown up to now.
Cebu Daily News Digital contacted the camp of Navales for their comment but they declined to issue a statement. /elb