Cebu police unit sacked over misencounter

CEBU CITY – All members of a the intelligence unit of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) were relieved after figuring in what is believed to be a misencounter with a policeman last Wednesday.

Eighteen officers of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB), including its chief, Police Major Alejandro Batobalonos, will be investigated over the death of Police Cpl. Feliciano Yballe Jr., an operative of the Cebu City Mobile Force Company.

Police Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, Central Visayas police chief, said Phil

ippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde had ordered the relief of the unit.

Batobalonos had been quoted in a newspaper report as saying that Yballe was killed when he traded gunfire with a PIB team at his house in Barangay Sinsin.

According to the report, the team was sent to Sinsin to arrest Yballe after he was implicated in the killing of another officer, Master Sgt. Junard Cinco.

Sinas corrected the allegation that Yballe was the target of the PIB operation.

“He (Batobalonos) told me that he did not issue such statement,” Sinas said.

Sinas said the PIB team had gone to Sinsin after receiving a tip that the killers of Cinco were hiding in the area.

Cinco was killed last Tuesday in Barangay Media Once, Toledo City. Police suspect a drug syndicate was behind the killing. Cinco had conducted the surveillance on Gerly Luwagi, who was killed by police last Monday in Minglanilla town, Cebu

“The CPPO team learned that Yballe was living in Sinsin. So they went to his house to seek assistance since he was familiar with the place,” said Sinas.

Sinas said the presence of armed men outside his house may have alarmed Yballes.

“Yballe at the time was a bit paranoid due to the series of death threats from drug lords and some local officials had been raising funds for his death. According to his live-in partner, several drug lords wanted him dead,” said Sinas.

Yballe doubted that the armed men who arrived at his house were policemen, since they were in civilian clothes.

“He also didn’t recognize any of the policemen,” said Sinas.

According to Police Col. Manuel Abrugena, chief of CPPO, the first shot came from inside the house.

“The shot that was fired inside the house triggered the shootout. When the team leader of the CPPO team, ordered a ceasefire, a wounded Yballe was found inside the house,” Sinas said.

Yballe, who had gunshot wounds in the body, was taken to the Cebu City Medical Center where he was declared dead.

The PIB operatives insisted they did not intend to kill Yballe, Sinas said.

The firearms of the relieved policemen were subjected to ballistic test. They were also tested for traces of gunpowder and drugs.

Sinas said there could be lapses in the conduct of the operation since the PIB team was not in uniform.

Sinas said that if proven that lapses were committed, the PIB unit will be charged for homicide.