Police nab suspect in driver’s slay; hunt on for another
Lito Rulona1 min read
By LITO RULONACorrespondent
POLICE arrested a man and launched a manhunt against another in connection with the shooting death of a “habal-habal” driver at Sitio Balongis, Balulang, this city, at dawn Sunday.
Chief Insp. Gil Agpawa, chief of Carmen police, identified the victim as Sandy Rey Labadan, 23, a resident of Balulang.
Police said Labadan was a graduating criminology student at the Southern Philippines College (SPC).
Labadan succumbed to lone gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to the JR Borja General Hospital in Barangay Carmen where he was declared dead on arrival.
Agpawa said one of two suspects, identified as Jerome Pimentel, was arrested and was scheduled to be charged before the City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday.
Pimentel was subjected to paraffin test even as investigators started examining an empty shell from a caliber .45 pistol that is suspected as the murder weapon.
Agpawa said a second suspect is being sought after a witness came forward and identified him as one of those who attacked Labadan.
Police said Labadan was apparently shot because of personal grudges.
Witnesses, they said, told investigators that Pimentel and the victim had quarreled and even engaged in fisticuffs a week ago, and had a spat the morning before the shooting death.
Pimentel also worked as a “habal-habal” driver.
Balulang barangay councilor Roldan Mabaylan, the victim’s uncle, said Pimentel was troublesome and faced a number of complaints from residents.