Councilman, strafing suspect die in shootout

Dumajug police chief Supt. Arvi Arbuis (left), presents three suspects in the Dec. 4 strafing. He said yesterday dawn’s shootout ensued after police were tipped by residents about armed men in their area. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

A shootout at dawn with policemen yesterday ended with  the death of a barangay councilman identified with Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia and another man in a mountain barangay in Ronda town.

Police operatives said both fatalities, barangay Masa councilman Wilfredo Albios and Marciano Tiwan were suspects in the Dec. 4 strafing and lobbing of a grenade at the SUV of a  a Liberal Party (LP) vice mayoral candidate in  barangay Masa, Dumanjug town.

A third suspect was arrested, 21-year-old Bemar James Mejares, who is wanted for  murder and frustrated murder charges.

Mayor Garcia, whose feud with Vice Mayor Efren “Gungun” Gica erupted anew with last Friday’s strafing,  said he wanted an investigation because he suspected that “what happened was a rubout, not a shootout.”

He asked the Cebu provincial police to conduct paraffin tests and an autopsy on the two slain men to determine whether they actually fired guns and how they died.

The running gunbattle started with a 2 a.m. shooting and armed person alarm which sent policemen to barangay Masa in Dumanjug,  said Supt. Arvi Arbuis, Dumanjug police chief.

The suspects, upon noticing the police ran to  sitio Lusno, barangay Langin, in Argao town.

Both sides exchanged gunfire.

The Dumanjug police were joined by a SWAT team, the Regional Public Safety Battalion and Provincial Police Security Company.

The site of the gunbattle is in the boundary of three towns of Dumanjug, Ronda and Argao.

Arbuis said the suspects retreated to  nearby sitio Lusno, in the home of Mejares.

Police said they recovered several guns, ncluding one M4, one M79 grenade launcher,  one Ingram pistol, one 12-gauge shotgun, and one lantaca, an improvised explosive placed inside a can, and assorted ammunition were taken from the site of the shootout.

They also found  two cell phones and drug paraphernalia.

Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, Argao police chief, said Mejares was a member of a gun-for-hire group facing murder and frustrated murder charges.

Arbuis  said they verified that Mejares is also a suspect in the killing of two policemen during a drug raid in Moalboal town several months ago.

Arbuis said Mejares, Albios and Tiwan belonged to one group led by former policeman Nilo Quirante, who is identified with Mayor Garcia and is a suspect in the Dec. 4 strafing.

Dumanjug Vice Mayor Gica accused Quirante of being a drug operator.

The Dumanjug police chief, Arbuis,  said Albios was identified by witnesses as one of those who strafed the black Mitsubishi Pajero of LP vice mayoral candidate Rainero Asentista, Gica’s running mate.

The vehicle was parked beside the road near the barangay hall in Masa  where the candidates were making community visits.

Cebu Daily News visited  Bemar’s house, where the supects had stayed.

Apo councilor Albina Robledo said they heard gunfire past 5 a.m. which lasted for 15 minutes.

CDN also visited the house of the mother of the slain councilor Wilfredo Albios in barangay Apo.

His wife Jennifer said policemen arrived  at 5 a.m. looking for her husband but he wasn’t around. Two  policemen stayed outside their house until 7 a.m. yesterday.

Jennifer accused a policeman, a certain “Eduard” whom she identified as a friend of Vice Mayor Gica.

“Nakontrahan man na ang akong bana.  Si Wilfred escort ausna ni Mayor Nelson pag 2013 elections,” she said.

(My husband was considered an  enemy because  Wilfred used to escort Mayor Garcia in the 2013 elections) she said.

She described her husband as a good man who chaired the peace and order committee in barangay Masa, Dumanjug town. She and her husband have a three-year-old child.