ALL POINTS COVERED. Police officers secure the house of Jojo Ganolon in sitio Latawan in barangay Nalhub, Dalaguete where he was killed together with Jelon Mercado in what police claim was a shootout.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
At least three men — including the No. 1 in Cebu’s most wanted list – were killed while seven others were arrested in simultaneous police operations against alleged criminal groups in three towns in southern before dawn Saturday, police said.
Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, chief of police of Cebu, identified the fatalities as Jojo Ganolon and Jelon Mercado, who were gunned down in a raid on Ganolon’s house in barangay Nalhub, around 15 kilometers from the national highway of Dalaguete town while Lorenzo Coronel was killed in a separate gunbattle in barangay Nug-as, Alcoy town.
Police said Ganolon organized the crime gang after he escaped from jail in November 2011. The gang was allegedly involved in illegal drugs, robbery, gun for hire, rape, cattle rustling and extortion and is being hired as goons by politicians during election period.
“Ganolon’s group was involved in a series of crimes. You name it. They even bully farmers and residents of mountain barangays,” Gillamac told reporters in a news conference.
Ganolon is the nephew of the barangay captain of Nalhug, Riza Amandoron, whose husband, Erwin, was among the seven arrested in the massive police operation.
Also arrested were two barangay councilmen – Michael Manriquez of barangay Jolomaynon in Dalaguete and Timoteo Amaca of barangay Nug-as in Alcoy. The village officials were tagged by police as protectors of crime gangs in their areas.
Amandoron and Manriquez denied the allegations against them.
“Inosente ko sa ilang mga pasangil. Bisan mangutana pa mo sa mga tawo sa among lugar. Gani, wa pa gyud ko makasohi sukad,” Manriquez said.
(I’m innocent of the allegations against me. You can check this with people in my area. I have never been implicated in any case.)
The police operations stemmed from the reports received by the Cebu Provincial Police Office and the Office of the Governor about criminal elements operating in the mountain villages and victimizing farmers who were too scared to fight back and report the crimes to the police.
“Some of the suspects were used by politicians in harassing the voters during the elections,” he said.
11 warrants
Gillamac said they applied for and were granted 11 search warrants to look for firearms and drugs in four houses in Dalaguete, Alcoy and Boljoon.
Ganolon was the subject of an arrest warrant after he escaped from jail while he was undergoing trial for a drug case before the Argao Regional Trial Court.
Jelon Mercado (left) and Jojo Ganolon (right)
According to Chief Insp. Joseph Birondo, leader of the Dalaguete raiding team, the fugitive has been under surveillance for a month.
“Around one month gyud ang surveillance ani niya kay lisod kaayo ni i-implement kay magpadung pa lang ka, kay mahibaw-an na. Maong kadlawn namo ni gibuhat ang operation,” he told Cebu Daily News.
(We conducted the raid at dawn as it’s difficult to serve a warrant against him as he could easily be alerted whenever an arresting team was about to move out.).
Farmers in the area, especially those in the Mantalongon vegetable market, reportedy fear Ganolon’s group as they allegedly harass them.
“Nagpabilib man ni sila gud. Almost tanan na record sa patay labi na pusil mugawas ilang pangalan,” Birondo said.
(They wanted to make a name for themselves. They always emerge as suspects in every case that involves the use of guns.)
He added that Ganolon’s group was behind the recent killing of a barangay tanod and the rape-murder of a girl whose body was found in a cliff.
Rubout
Ganolon’s mother, Rosalina, however, disputed police accounts that he resisted arrest prompting police to shoot him. She told Cebu Daily News that his son was killed even if he was already surrendering himself.
“Tan-awa ra gud na unsa akong anak dira, naghigda pa na. Unsaon man niya pagsukol nga gahigda pa man siya,” she said as she pointed to her bloodied son who was still lying on the bed. A gun holster was on his stomach. A police forensic technician was still examining Ganolon’s remains when CDN arrived at the crime scene.
Police said Ganolon’s gun was taken to the crime laboratory for ballistics tests.
Rosalina said she was tending to her cattle on the other side of a hill when she heard gunfire coming from his son’s house.
“It was around 5:30 a.m. when I heard a burst of gunfire. I was so terrified and I want to run back home but a policeman blocked my way,” she said in Bisayan.
She said she tried to plead with the police to stop shooting by shouting “Sakto na!” (Stop it).
She said his son did not want to suffer the same fate as his brother, Joseph, who killed three years ago in a drug raid in barangay Balud.
Ganolon was fatally hit in the head and chest. The other fatality, Mercado, was also shot in the head in a toilet a few meters away form the house. An unidentified cohort managed to flee.
Rosalina further claimed that the police took his son’s wooden box where he places his money, including his winnings in coin-toss games (hantak) and cockfights.
“Wa na intawon mi panggasto,” she said. (We don’t have any money now to spend)
Ganolon’s live-in partner, Mabeth, however said he woke her up at around 5 a.m. and ordered her to leave the house with their year-old son.
“Iya ko gipukaw iya pod ko gipagawas dayon sa balay. Nakakita pa ko nga iyahang gikuha ang iyang armas og butang dool sa iyang tiyan. Sa terrace ra man unta ko ata pero gibira man dayon ko sa police kay basin unsa mahitabo. Nakulbaan ko kay akong anak naa pa sa sulod,” she said.
(He roused me from sleep and ordered me to get out of the house. I saw him get his gun and he placed it near his stomach. I was at the terrace when a policeman grabbed me. I was anxious because my son was still inside the house.)
The child allegedly told her later that “Papa, gi-bangbang” (Papa was shot).
Ganolon’s neighbors said they had no idea that he was involved in any criminal activity. They said he was a good man whom they could rely on when they need money.