Gunman, who killed cop in Sibonga, faces charges

YAP (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Ritchie Mendoza Barcenas, 30, of Carcar City, will be charged today before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for murder, violation of election gun ban and violation of sections 11 and 12 of the Republic Act 9165.

Barcenas was accused of killing PO2 Jason Yap, an operative of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Group (RAIDSOTG) in Sitio Kapuso-an, Barangay Poblacion, Sibonga on Sunday noon.

Yap, who was driving his car toward his home in Argao after his duty in Cebu City, chanced upon a speeding vehicle driven by Barcenas which nearly hit a motorcycle in Ocaña, Carcar City.

The police officer chased Barcenas until he was able to block his path along sitio Kapuso-an. Yap asked for Barcenas’ driver’s license but the latter shot Yap in the face instead.

PO2 Renato Padigos, a policeman from Regional Public Safety Battalion who was contacted by Yap to serve as back-up prior to the shooting incident, also shot Barcenas in the stomach. Yap died at the hospital in Carcar City while Barcenas is  now confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Sibonga Police Station investigator PO2  Ederlino Bacusmo said Barcenas used a high-powered firearm, possibly an Ingram, in shooting Yap in the face.  Also recovered from the drawer of Barcenas’ vehicle were a .38 caliber revolver, 7 sachets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Supt. Brindo Nacario, chief of the Carcar City Police station, confirmed that Barcenas is a known drug personality in Carcar.

Chief Insp. Henrix Bancoleta, chief investigator of the police unit, told Cebu Daily News in an interview that the police officer succumbed to gunshot wounds on his eyes, cheek and chin.

“That incident where he acted on his instinct as a police officer though he was off-duty only shows how dedicated Yap is to his service,” he said.

The headquarters of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) have flown their flags on half-mast for Yap.

“Mingawon gyud mi niya. Karon ubos kaayo among moral tungod sa iyang pagkawala. Mura man gud mig pamilya diri, murag mga igsoon (We will miss him. Now we have ‘very low morale’ because of his death. We are like family here, we treat each other as brothers),” said Bancoleta.