Police belie rumors they used grenade in shootout

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) denied allegations regarding the death of a notorious drug personality who engaged in a shootout with policemen in Sitio Boloc-Boloc, Barangay Sangat, San Fernando, Cebu, last weekend.

It was previously reported that last March 21, Jay Castañares, 44, a former barangay councilman and ex-convict, exchanged gunfire with policemen responding to an earlier shooting.

Around 9 a.m. that day, Castañares allegedly shot dead a gulaman vendor identified as Emilio Miñoza Sabroso, a resident of Barangay Greenhills in the same town. Castañares allegedly mistook Sabroso for a police asset because he was wearing a face mask while selling refreshments in his area, leading him to shoot the victim several times until he fell off his motorcycle.

Castañares then retreated to his house where he shot at approaching policemen. The stalemate lasted around five hours and only concluded by 4 P.M. when Castañares intentionally set his own house on fire. The fire quickly engulfed his house, which was made of light materials, and fatally burned him to death.

Following the incident, allegations from the public surfaced about how Castañares died. One of the rumors said policemen threw a hand grenade into Castañares' house, causing the fire to break out.

However, the CPPO dismissed this claim, stressing that the responding police units were simply conducting a hot-pursuit operation with the aim of restraining the suspect.

According to CPPO information officer Police Major Sam Dacullo, the police didn’t have any reason to throw explosives during the operation, noting that their primary mission was to save lives and property.

“Nganong molabay ang pulis nga ang intention is pagdakop ra man?” he said in an interview yesterday.

“Kanang paglabay sa hand grenade, dili na himuon sa pulis kay adto ra na sa mga lugar na gubot kaayo, morag giyera na,” he added.

While considering Castañares' criminal records related to illegal drugs, Dacullo also said the suspect was possibly not in his right mind when he intentionally shot it out with policemen for several hours.

“Ang kaning adik na tawo, lain baya ni og thinking baya. So most probably, siya mismo nag-intent to siya kato pa lamang nga naay mga return fire,” he said.

For Dacullo, those spreading false information about the incident are likely relatives of Castañares who will typically defend him.

“Usually ang kanang mohatag og mga negative comments dihang dapita, most probably mga relatives o parente sa suspetsado --naturally, ang dugo molaban g’yud na sa kadugo,” he said.

Dacullo also shared that yesterday, CPPO Provincial Director Police Colonel Abubakar Mangelen Jr. formed a fact-finding team composed of lawyers and police investigators from the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Unit to conduct a lateral investigation into the incident, particularly to determine areas for improvement and to prevent similar incidents involving injured personnel in future operations.

Patrolman Kim Ceniza Villariaza of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-7, who was wounded in the operation to arrest Castañares is currently confined in a private hospital in Cebu City.

He is recuperating from a gunshot wound he sustained to his right chest.

Yesterday, Mangelen personally visited Villariaza and commended him for his heroism and dedication to duty.