Murder suspect, cohorts perish in shootout with police in mountain hideout
‘TOOLS OF THE TRADE’. Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, examines the assorted firearms, police uniform, bullet proof vest and some illegal drugs seized from the mountain hideout of murder suspect Ronjohn Labrador in Barili town, southwest Cebu.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
A murder suspect and his cohorts were killed in a shootout with police before dawn yesterday.
Ronjohn Labrador and his accomplices Joselito Empinado, Julieto Soroño and Bebot Alcoy chose to fight rather than surrender to members of the police’s Regional Intelligence Division (RID) team.
Police linked them to the series of robberies victimizing lending collectors. The group was also suspected of drug dealing and gun-for-hire activities.
The RID team descended on the group’s hideout in sitio Panas, barangay Bugtong Kawayan, Barili town in southwest Cebu at past 1 a.m. yesterday to serve an arrest warrant against Labrador.
A shootout ensued, killing all four men. Their bodies were brought by the police to the Barili District Hospital, where Barili Municipal Health Officer Michelle Anne Recto confirmed their death from gunshot wounds.
The arrest warrant issued by Judge Alexander Acosta of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 9 in Cebu City stemmed from Labrador’s alleged involvement in the murder of an ex-policeman in barangay Inayawan, Cebu City last December.
Harassment
Senior Insp. Romeo Sentinta, RID team leader, said Labrador’s group had long been harassing residents in the area.
“One of the four men even played with a hand grenade and threatened the residents with it.
Labrador’s group reportedly threatened those who report their behavior to the barangay officials. The residents cooperated with the police to bring these people down,” Sentinta said in Cebuano.
Assorted firearms and ammunition as well as substances believed to be illegal drugs were allegedly recovered from Labrador’s hideout.
The substances weighed 10 grams and had an estimated street value of P100,000, Sentinta said.
Also recovered from Labrador’s possession were a wig, a police uniform and a bullet-proof vest.
No choice
Labrador was reportedly arrested during a 2009 fluvial procession on a charge of attempted murder.
The arrest warrant for that case was issued by RTC Branch 16 Judge Sylva Aguirre in March 2007.
Last December 2014, the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) 7 also tried to serve the arrest warrant issued by Judge Acosta against Labrador, but the encounter resulted in the death of Labrador’s gang member from Negros Oriental.
Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, said tracking down Labrador wasn’t easy.
“Medyo malayo ang hideout, about an hour from the national highway papuntang bundok. Pagdating sa safehouse, may guide tayo dun na sinabihan si Ronjohn na lumabas pero nagpaputok sila ng baril sa police (The hideout was located about an hour from the national highway heading to the mountains. Upon reaching the safehouse, we had a guide who told Ronjohn to get out, but they fired shots at the police),” Bañas told reporters.
He said the RID team had no choice but to fire back.
Bañas said the group was linked to the series of robberies involving lending collectors in southern Cebu.
He said Labrador’s group was also engaged in illegal drugs and gun-for-hire activities.
“If they decided to fight it out with the police, we have no choice but to defend ourselves.
This group had been operating since 2012. The three men served as backup to Labrador,” Bañas said.