Police filed murder raps vs. suspects in ex-village chief’s slay in Samar

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
October 1, 2013

CAMP KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – The police filed Monday criminal charges against alleged gunmen in the Sunday morning killing of a former chairman of Lagundi village in Catbalogan City.

A case for murder was filed at the Office of the City Prosecutor against Reymund Bañar and one John Doe docketed under NPS number VIII-08-INQ-131-00432 dated September 30, 2013, according to PCSupt. Elmer R. Soria, director of Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8).

“The witnesses pointed to Bañar as one of the two gunmen who shot ex-chairman Filomeno Cabarriban,” Soria said.

Bañar, 21, is now in police custody after his arrest in a manhunt operation by a joint police team from the Regional Special Operations Group 8 (RSOG 8) and Catbalogan police station led by Insp. Constantino Jabonete, Jr.

The police regional chief added that the suspect was nabbed in his hide-out situated at the outskirts of same village, some two kilometers from the crime scene, at past 7:00 p.m. Sunday.

Soria added that the suspect, who is a native of Brgy. San Andres also in same city, has been residing in the area just about two months prior to the incident.

The victim was watching a cock fight in Catbalogan Gallera in Brgy. Lagundi, some five kilometers south of the city proper, at around 11 a.m. Sunday when the gunmen shot and hit the victim at the back and neck that went through his left cheek.

The suspects then joined two other companions who served as look-outs in fleeing towards the mountainous part of the village while the victim was rushed to the Samar Provincial Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The 47-year old victim was employed at the local government unit of Catbalogan prior his death while his wife Allan currently serves as barangay chairperson of Lagundi.

Police recovered from the crime scene two fired cartridges of .45 caliber pistol and one fired cartridge from 9mm.

The victim was a known supporter of former Catbalogan City Mayor Coefredo Uy, who now sits as a city councilor, and was reportedly planning to regain his old post as village chair.

The detained suspect underwent a paraffin test Sunday evening as investigators also generated computerized composite facial sketches of remaining suspects based on eyewitnesses’ account that could help effect the arrest of the other suspects.