Taxi passenger shot dead in Quiot; cops turn to CCTVs to identify, catch killer

Inside this taxi unit was the lifeless body of a man who was shot by still unidentified gunman on Thursday, March 2, in Barangay Quiot, Cebu City. | Labangon PS

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are hoping that footage from security cameras may give them a lead on the killer of a taxi passenger, who was shot dead this afternoon, March 3, in Barangay Quiot, Cebu City.

Police Major Janelito Marquez, chief of the Labangon Police Station, said that they were backtracking the route of the victim, Rogelio Baguio, 28, of Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, to check if the shooter tailed the victim from where he was fetched.

Initial investigation showed that Baguio was shot in the head as he was about to disembark from the taxi that he was riding on in Sitio Lantawan, San Carlos Heights of Barangay Quiot.

The assailant allegedly suddenly showed up on the passenger side of the taxi and shot the victim, who was still inside the front seat and was about to get out of the vehicle.

The taxi driver told police that he fetched the victim in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City and the latter then told him to bring him to San Carlos Heights in Barangay Quiot.

He told police that it was when the victim was about to disembark when the shooter appeared and shot him.

The gunman was just walking while the taxi stopped to let the victim get off the taxi.

The taxi driver and the companion of the victim at the back seat of the cab managed to get out the vehicle and run away as the assailant also fled after the shooting.

Marquez said that they believed the suspect had a getaway motorcycle meters away from the area where the shooting happened.

The police chief said that they considered personal grudge as a possible motive in the killing especially since the victim had allegedly argued with somebody earlier.

Marquez, however, said that they still had to verify this allegation.

He also said that they were also checking on the errands of the victim on why he was there.

But initially, the police chief said that Baguio was allegedly planning to rent a house there.

Aside from that, Marquez said that they also learned that the victim was allegedly arrested last 2014 for possession of deadly weapons.

This shooting in Barangay Quiot today is the third one reported in the city in the past four days or from Feb. 28 to date.

Earlier on Thursday, March 2, a shooting happened in Sitio Lower Yati in Barangay Quiot past 7 a.m.

The victim, who survived the attack, was identified as Reymart Abarquez, 32, a resident of the same barangay. The suspect was arrested and identified as Raven Bautista, 28. 

Personal grudge was eyed as the possible motive of the March 2 shooting since the two reportedly had an argument before the shooting happened.

On Feb. 28, a man also survived a shooting attack in Barangay Basak, San Nicolas. The victim, Dennis Empasis, was riding his motorcycle when he was shot and wounded. Police continued to investigate the shooting and identify and arrest the shooter.

Amid these shooting attacks, Police Lieutenant Colonel Macatangay assured the public that they should not be alarmed with these, but she also reminded everyone that they also should not be complacent about their safety.

“We should not be alarmed with these shooting incidents that are happening in Cebu City. Amoa lang sad angay ipasabot and ipaabot sa atoang molulupyo here in Cebu City, your PNP is on top of the situation, he said.

(We should not be alarmed with these shooting incidents that are happening in Cebu City. We are trying to let the residents in Cebu understand and to tell them that your PNP is on top of the situation.)

“And our investigators are on board, our intelligence network is in place to identify and locate who these individuals are. Wa tay angay ikabalaka ani nga hitaboa karon (We have nothing to worry about these shooting now),” the police chief said.

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/dbs