Cops nab suspect in cabbie’s death

CEBU, Philippines —  One of the two suspects in the robbery and murder of a 57-year-old cab driver in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City early this week was arrested by the police Friday afternoon.

Eric Cabigas Ramos, 30, a resident of Sitio Pilipog, Mohon 1, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, was arrested by police operatives after he was positively identified by the sole witness of the crime.

Ramos, however, denied the allegations against him.

"Di na ako gabuhat ana.  Kung ako pa na, ako na serbisyohan oy. Lisura sad anang gibuhat ninyo nako oy," Ramos told THE FREEMAN.

He said he was busy painting their house when the incident happened.

Victorio Manatad Molina, a resident of B. Logarta Street, was found dead inside his taxi cab at the Second Street, Naya Village, Barangay Tisa last Tuesday dawn.  He sustained a gunshot wound to his right temple. 

The suspect added that it is impossible for him to do the crime since he cannot run fast because of the stitches in his stomach after he was shot days ago.

"Checkpoint ba nidagan ko kay hadlok ko patiran unya ako ila pasanginlan nga lisud na gani ko og dagan," the suspect said.

The police said the witness saw two men in white shirts and the other one was wearing a black with white stripes shorts came out running from the cab, after a shot and followed by the sound of the cab's accelerator were heard.

Senior Police Officer 2 Deo Clarin, Chief Investigator of the Punta Princesa Police Station, told The FREEMAN that a police officer assigned in another police station in Cebu pitched the information regarding Ramos.

He said that the police officer's house boy allegedly had a drinking spree with Ramos the night after the crime, wherein he proudly admitted the killing of Molina.

"Before ana, na loose talk na siya. Nag-inom sila sa bata-bata sa polis, iyang gipanghambog nga siyay nitira atong taxi drayber," Clarin said.

According to him, the police went to Ramos' home with the witness, and there he was positively identified by the witness.

"Before pa ana niya, naa mi nadakpan nga lain nangawat unya amo gipatan-aw ang witness, dili man gyud daw mao," the chief investigator said.

He added that the police previously showed their rouges’ list to the witness but failed to identify Ramos because he lost so much weight at present.

As of now, the police are still clueless on the identity of the second suspect.

"Dili man gyud siya mosulti kung kinsa to iyang kauban maski angga man lang," Clarin added.

Even though Ramos' cohort remains unidentified, both of them will be facing a robbery with homicide case.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma, in a phone interview, yesterday commended the achievement of the Punta Princesa Police Station for solving the case within three days.

"It's good na matyaga at pursigido ang mga polis natin," Garma said.

Garma added that the accomplishment is not only because of the police tracker teams, but also because of the help of the community who gave information to the police. — GAN  (FREEMAN)