By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
POLICE yesterday chased and arrested a man who stole a public van at the Laguindingan airport, and then a taxi in the same town which he used in his attempt to escape towards Iligan City.
A police officer, SPO1 Hermil Baba, was hurt when the suspect identified as Victor Zambas rammed through a police checkpoint in Libertad town.
Zambas was eventually caught in Initao town after police officer shot the tires of the stolen taxi with license plates 1008-08. The vehicle belongs of JJ Taxi.
Senior Insp. Jelesis Teves said Zambas, who came from Malaybalay and was bound to Quezon City, was detained at the Laguindingan police station, and would be charged with carnapping and physical injuries.
Zambas told investigators he took the van owned by the bus company Super 5 at the airport in order to escape hitmen.
According to the Philippine News Agency, police clamped a security blanket at the Laguindingan airport as a result of the incident.
Teves said Zambas took the van, with license plates KVA-995, at around 9:30 am, and rammed through the airport’s tightly guarded main gate.
The driver of another van tried to stop Zambas by blocking the road, prompting the suspect to step down. He then stole a taxi which he used in his attempt to escape towards Iligan, Teves said.
While the chase was ongoing, police sounded a province-wide alarm, prompting municipal police stations to set up blockades.
PNA reported that Zambas claimed to have been at the Laguindingan airport since Sunday, waiting for a flight to Manila.
He said he worked as a company driver in Manila but was on vacation since Dec. 23 in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.
The suspect alleged that some unidentified persons, he described as “death squad,” were out to kill him, prompting him to commandeer a car to escape from the alleged “death squad.”
Junal Andaya, the driver of the passenger van, said the engine of his vehicle was running while he was preparing to pick up passengers.
He said Zambas took the wheel, closed the doors, then sped off.
Police guarding the airport’s main gate said they could not shoot at the vehicle for fear that passengers were inside.
“The passenger van has tinted glasses, so we could not ascertain if there were passengers inside,” a police officer manning the airport’s gate said.
The operation at the airport was back to normal, but the security has been tightened.
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