SITG created to investigate ambush of cop in Cebu City

The white Toyota Hilux pickup truck that was boarded by STL Partylist first nominee Yvonne Cania and her partner, Police Lieutenant Colonel Chuck Barandog, during an ambush on Sunday night, May 1, 2022, in Barangay Mabolo is parked at the Police Station 4 of the Cebu City Police Office in Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) was created to look deeper into the ambush of Police Lieutenant Colonel Chuck Barandog and Samahan ng Totoong Larong may Puso (STL) partylist first nominee Yvonne Cania in Barangay Mabolo here on Sunday night, May 1, 2022.

Barandog remains in a critical condition as of this posting after he reportedly sustained 11 gunshot wounds when two men onboard a motorcycle shot at the pickup truck he was driving while on a traffic light stop along at the intersection of Pope John Paul II and F. Cabahug Street in Barangay Mabolo.

His wife, Yvonne, who was in the front passenger seat, is in stable condition. She sustained a wound on her back.

Also with the couple was a police companion seated at the rear of the pickup truck. The identity of the companion is being withheld for security reasons.

Barandog was hit on his right leg, left arm, forearm, interior abdomen, and twice in his inguinal area. According to reports, Barandog managed to disembark from the white Toyota Hilux pickup truck and crawl over to escape the attack.

The policeman with him wasn’t able to return fire as splinters from glass that broke due to the gunshots hit his eye, causing it to bleed. He, however, managed to bring the victims to the hospital after the assailants fled the scene.

In a press conference on Monday, May 2, Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said a SITG was already put up to look into this case, which comes just a few days before the national elections.

The SITG will be working to look deeper into the ambush incident, especially in gathering pieces of evidence crucial in identifying the possible suspects.

Macatangay said that the SITG is usually composed of investigators from the police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas.

Macatangay said they are still considering all possible motives behind the ambush. Among the angles they are looking into is the victim’s job as an active police officer.

“Work-related, personal, iyahang business, iyang relationships, sa politics, we’re also looking into these and many more. Daghan kaayo, complex ang mao nga panghitabo,” Macatangay said.

(Work-related, personal, his business, his relationships,  politics, we’re also looking into these and many more. There’a a lot to look into so it’s a very complex case.)

Macatangay said there’s a possibility that Barandog was the prime target, considering the number of gunshot wounds he sustained.

Background

According to Macatangay, Barandog is no longer affiliated with the CCPO as he was transferred and assigned to the personal holding unit of the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame two weeks ago. He was  the former chief of the Cebu City Mobile Force Company.

She said that they could not give a comment for now on why Barandog was in Cebu, considering that he was already assigned to Camp Crame.

It should be noted, though, that Barandog is a resident of Oppra Village in Barangay Capitol Site, here.

Macatangay said that they tried talking to the police companion, who is a member of the Cebu City Mobile Force Company, to ask if the victims received any death threats in the past. But the policeman said that he did not know of any threats the victims received.

Election-related?

Macatangay said they cannot categorize the ambush as election-related even if Cania is running for a government position.

“It could have been a different story if the intention is really to put down Maam Yvonne. Ang trajectory sa bala is padong sa lawas ni sir Barandog, dunay isa ang niigo sa lawas ni Ms. Yovonne,” she said.

(It could have been a different story if the intention is really to put down Maam Yvonne. The trajectory of the bullet is towards sir Barandog. There was just one that hit Ms. Yovonne.)

“Partylist mani sila. What would benefit a political party by going against a partylist. Diba? Mao na ang maong gi consider kay og muingon ta’g election-related, naay gyuy something to gain from the one who perpetrated the incident. This one is lahi man,” Macatangay added.

(They are a partylist. What would benefit a political party by going against a partylist?  That’s what we are considering because if we say this is election-related, there has to be something to gain from the one who perpetrated the incident. This one is different.)

Macatangay said that for now, they can say that this is an isolated case.

She said police will be looking into the work background of Barandog, his accomplishments, and the possible persons he was in conflict with.

When asked why Barandog was on board a pickup truck of a political group, Macatangay said that it may be that he was just driving for his wife.

“You cannot [take] that from him to be with his wife. So buot pasabot ba tungod ni lansar ang iyang asawa, di nalang sya mukuyog, mu drive sa iyang wife?” Macatangay said.

(So does it mean if his wife ran for office, he accompany or drive for his wife?)

Macatangay, meanwhile, appeals to the public to report to police anything that may help in the investigation of this case.

/bmjo

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