Armed encounter in Naga City involving policeman will still be investigated

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) will continue its investigation of the armed encounter in Naga City last December 30, 2022 that led to the killing of the suspect by a responding policeman.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Gifter Sucalit, deputy director for operations of CPPO, said that the armed person alarm was reported in Naga City Police Station past 7 p.m. last December 30, in Barangay Colon, Naga City.

Even if the initial investigation showed that the incident involving Police Senior Master Sergeant Ken Cabrera, a responding police officer of Naga City Police Station, was a case of self-defense and had a “reasonable” response against the armed suspect Danilo Villalon, they will still continue to investigate this as part of their standard operation procedure (SOP).

As of now, Sucalit said that they have witnesses who are willing to give their statements about what happened at that time. According to some residents there, Villalon was always a problem when he was drunk.

“Magmaoy siya pag makainom…Nag responde ra intawon atoang tropa. But, as part sa procedure nato nga imbestigahan further but sa atoang nakita initially, niresponde ra gyud atoa nga tropa,” Sucalit said.

Quoting their investigation, Sucalit said that the suspect Villalon run amok in Sitio Little Valley in Barangay Colon on December 30. Villalon was allegedly drunk and armed with a bolo at that time.

Personnel of the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) immediately informed the police about this incident. Police officer Cabrera, together with two other policemen, went to the area onboard a police patrol. While they were approaching the area, Cabrera, who was seating at the front passenger seat of the mobile patrol car, was the first one who get off from the car and ordered Villalon to surrender peacefully.

Instead of adhering to the police, Villalon immediately threw hack blows against the responding police officer. During Villalon’s first attack, Cabrera was able to safety evade the attack, and the bolo then hit the side of the car.

“Sa pagresponde sa atoang tropa, paggawas niya giatake kaagad siya sa suspetsado. Fortunately, nakalikay (police). A prove of that, really, naay damage ang atoang sakyanan,” he said.

This is the part of the mobile patrol that was hit by the bolo when the suspect allegedly attempted to strike a policeman in Naga City Cebu on December 30, 2022.

Cabrera reportedly moved away from the suspect but was nearly trapped when he ran into a barbed wire fence.

“Paglikay niya, ni continue pa gyud ang suspect unya naapiki na siya kay naa na sya dapit sa barb wire, iyang gibuhat is to defend himself. Una gipa-a niya unya sa tiyan, katulo siya nitira kay sige siya (Villalon) padayun (attacking Cabrera),” he added.

(When he evaded, the suspect continued to try to hack him with the bolo and when he was trapped near the barbed wire, he had to defend himself. He first shot the leg, then the abdomen. He fired thrice because the suspect continued to attack.)

The man was immediately brought to a hospital but the physician declared him dead on arrival.

Sucalit added that this incident proves that policemen are always ready to take the risk, even if their lives are at stake, to secure the community in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

/bmjo

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