Policeman dies in second ambush, ‘girlfriend’ injured in Barili attack

The body of Police Master Sergeant Raymund Zozobrado slumps on a roadside canal after he was ambushed by unidentified assailants in Barangay Dakit in Barili town, southwestern Cebu, today, May 29. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police Master Sergeant Raymund Zozobrado has already cheated death in April 2018 when he survived an attempt on his life.

But the 40-year-old active police officer was not as lucky on Saturday morning, May 29, 2021, after he failed to dodge the bullets being rained on him by unidentified assailants on board a van in Barangay Dakit, Barili town, southwestern Cebu.

Police Major Romeo Caacoy Jr, Barili Police Station chief said Zozobrado was an active police officer assigned in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental who was a resident of Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

Caacoy added that the victim was declared dead on the spot by Dr. Michelle Ann Dagoy, municipal doctor of Barili town.

The victim was with his ‘girlfriend’ Vanessa Tura, 30, a resident of Barangay Upper Mohon, Talisay City who also sustained gunshot wounds and is now being treated at the Barili District Hospital.

Zozobrado and Tura were reportedly on board the former’s motorcycle when they were ambushed.

Caacoy said that as of now, they are considering all possible angles including Zozobrado’s work as a police officer and personal matters. They are also not discounting the love triangle as a possible motive behind this ambush although both are reportedly single.

Caacoy added that they are currently gathering possible closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from nearby areas that might help them identify the perpetrators who were reportedly on board a Toyota Innova.

READ: Cop survives ambush

Last April 2018, Zozobrado was also ambushed below the flyover in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City as he was heading home from the wake of his co-police officer.

At that time, Zozobrado was assigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7).

Caacoy said that based on their initial investigation, the victims just arrived in Barangay Tangil in Dumanjug town from Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental. They were traversing Barangay Dakit in Barili towards Cebu City when they were ambushed.

Caacoy said that Tura told them that the assailants waited for them to pass by the area then shot them multiple times. Tura could not determine how many suspects waylaid them.

Caacoy added that they recovered empty shells of long firearms in the area and that they are still verifying what specific firearms were used in the attack. He said that Zozobrado was the target of the ambush.

“Among gisubay ang crime scene, mingaw, way mga balay, walay camera ngadtong dapita pero atoang gisuwayan og pangita sa duol-duol basin naay makita nga pwede magamit,” Caacoy said.

PRO-7 chief, Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo, for his part, said that he already directed the provincial police to further investigate this latest ambush of a police officer.

READ: Five cops ambushed in a space of two months

/rcg