1 dead, 1 arrested in police operation in Balamban
Personnel from the Balamban Police Station arrested the accused, Jovel Tribunalo Villegas, after the court issued warrants against him for murder and frustrated murder. /Contributed Photo
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A man with a pending warrant of arrest was killed in an armed confrontation with the police in Barangay Bayong, Balamban town, on Tuesday morning, August 13, 2024, at around 10:40 a.m.
The suspect was identified as Paulino Tribunalo Cordezar, of legal age, a resident of the said place.
Cordezar had a pending warrant of arrest for violation of Republic Act No. 10591, or illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, which was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 29 of Toledo City.
The court, however, recommended bail of P150,000 for the temporary liberty of the accused.
When the tracker team operatives, together with the Special Action Force (SAF) and the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), implemented the warrant of arrest and arrived at the area, Cordezar sensed their presence and fired his KG9 at the operating team, causing them to return fire.
After the confrontation, the accused was found lying on the ground with gunshot wounds in different parts of his body, holding a KG9 firearm with two long magazines and 40 live rounds of ammunition.
The SAF medics immediately applied first aid to the accused and brought him to Balamban Hospital; however, he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
In addition, the operating team also arrested another target of their operation, Jovel Tribunalo Villegas, of legal age, also a resident of the said place and a relative of Cordezar.
Villegas had pending warrants of arrest for murder in RTC Branch 29 in Toledo City and RTC Branch 70 in Lapu-Lapu City, as well as frustrated murder in RTC Branch 72, Lapu-Lapu City.
The authorities also recovered from the accused a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine and three live rounds of ammunition; 50 additional rounds of live ammunition; a 7.62mm homemade handgun; and 1 kilogram of dried marijuana worth P120,000.
The accused was temporarily placed under the custody of the Balamban Police Station, pending his turnover to the issuing court.
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