Steve Dela Rosa, the wounded hostage, is brought to the ambulance that will take him to the Cebu City Medical Cener for treatment of his gunshot wound. | Photo courtesy of Pardo Police
CEBU CITY, Philippines — An armed man, who held hostage his cousin and his cousin’s friend inside his house, was killed in a shootout with police officers.
Benjie Dela Rosa died after he sustained gunshot wounds in the body after he shot it out with responding police officers in Sitio Cabangkalan 2, Barangay Bulacao in Cebu City at past 9 p.m. on Friday, June 7, said Police Major Regino Maramag, Pardo Police Precinct chief.
Maramag told CDN Digital in a phone interview that one of Benjie Dela Rosa’s hostages, his cousin Steve Dela Rosa, was wounded in the body.
He said that he believed that Benjie shot his cousin, Steve, during the exchange of fire with police officers.
Investigation showed that Benjie Dela Rosa, was armed with three handguns when he held hostage Steve and Steve’s friend, Ryan Cardavan, for no apparent reason.
Maramag said that an uncle reported the incident to the Pardo Police Precinct, who responded to the hostage taking incident, which was earlier initially reported as a shooting incident at past 9 p.m., which was about three hours after they arrested a police officer for allegedly selling drugs in Barangay Basak Pardo.
Read more: Cop, who moonlights as drug pusher, nabbed with P170K shabu in Pardo bust
But when the police officers arrived, Benjie allegedly fired at them, prompting them to fire back, killing Benjie Dela Rosa.
Recovered from Benjie Dela Rosa were a .45 caliber pistol, a .357 caliber revolver and a .22 caliber revolver and three packs believed to be suspected shabu.
Maramag said that Benjie Dela Rosa was allegedly a toughie in the area and was allegedly a person who would threaten neighbors with his gun.
He claimed that the Pardo Police had previously arrested Benjie Dela Rosa for murder and attempted murder, but Benjie Dela Rosa was freed from prison after these cases were later dismissed. | dbs