Liloan ‘strafing’ suspect surrenders

CEBU, Philippines — Another suspect in the gun attack on a rival youth gang that left a 16-year-old dead and two other youths injured in Brgy. Yati, Liloan, Cebu Thursday dawn has surrendered.

The 16-year-old minor identified as “Ugoy” and a resident of Sitio Tagaytay, Brgy. Calero, Liloan, arrived at the Liloan Police station with his parents around 3 p.m. last Friday to turn himself in.

Police Major Eric Gingoyon, Liloan police chief, said Ugoy denied involvement in the incident, but “Nilo” and “Makmak”, who were arrested earlier, identified him as the one who fired at the victims.

Gingoyon said they are further investigating if there are others who may have also committed the crime.

Ugoy’s arrest brought to five the number of suspects who were apprehended in relation to the crime.

Authorities named the four as alias Niño, 18 years old, a resident of Barangay Looc; twin brothers “B1” and “B2”, 34, of Brgy. Jagobiao, Mandaue City; and “Makmak”, 21, of Brgy. Calero, Liloan.

Gingoyon said grudge and “gang war” are the motives they are looking at why the suspects committed the crime.

He said the suspects are members of the “Bloods gang” and likely took revenge on the victims, who are “Crips gang” members, because a Bloods gang member got stabbed close to where the victims were fired upon Thursday dawn.

Gingoyon said the two groups also fought in evening of May 8, Wednesday, during a fiesta in Mandaue City, but the groups parted and fled when the police arrived.

The victims allegedly went to Liloan. Unknown to them, the suspects followed them there, where they were fired upon.

Gingoyon said B1 yielded a 9 mm firearm with six bullets during his arrest last Thursay. The gun would be subjected to a ballistic examination to determine if it was used during the crime, as responding policemen recovered at the scene 18 bullets and 4 bullet slugs.

Complaints of murder, frustrated murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms are being prepared against the Ugoy and the others. — (FREEMAN)