Cops kill ‘escapee’ in alleged shootout

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

POLICE killed an alleged Davao Penal Colony (Dapecol) escapee in a supposed shootout at Zone-7, Acasia Street in Barangay Carmen, this city, late Thursday evening.

Police identified the slain man as 46-year old Alex Clemente.

Authorities alleged that Clemente, whose case was illegal drugs possession, escaped from the Dapecol in 2013.

But Clemente’s common law wife, Gina Daba, maintained that he was innocent, was not an escapee, and that the police operation was illegal because authorities barged inside their house without a warrant.

Chief Insp. Dennis Ebsolo, Lumbia police chief, said the shootout came following a manhunt carried out by the police that received reliable information about Clemente’s background, and escape from Dapecol.

Ebsolo said police checked Clemente out and found out that he was armed and was peddling illegal drugs in the city.

“Taud-taud kita nag nag-conduct og surveillance. Kagabii lang naka-dawat kita og report nga anaa siya sa ilang balay mao nga nag-conduct kita og raid,” he said.

Ebsolo said police surrounded Clemente’s house and then asked members of his family to get out while they tried to talk the escapee into yielding to them.

But Clemente, according to Ebsolo, started shooting at the police as they tried to get in the house.

“Nagpaboto siya og maka-duha sa mga kauban nato mao nga napugos sila sa pag-fire back,” he said.

Clemente succumbed to gunshot wounds all over. He died inside a room.

Daba, Clemente’s common law wife, accused the police of excesses even as she denied that the fatality was selling drugs and that he escaped from Dapecol.

Daba said what happened was the police came and harassed them.

She said they also asked the police to show a warrant but they did not show any.

Daba alleged police then started shooting her common law husband and then planted evidence.

“Dili kami ingon ana. Simple lang kami nga tawo,” she said.

Daba said Clemente worked as a motorela driver, and that he was not an escapee.

“Dugay naman kini nga kaso unya nag-ingon akong bana nga wala lang siya makapirma paghawa niya didto sa Davao. That was 18 years ago unya nag-motorela driver kini siya,” she said.

Daba said police asked people inside the house to get out because Clemente refused to come out of the room, and then the shootings started.

“Akong gi-ingnan ang mga polis nga ako lang mohangyo sa iya nga mo-surrender pero gipusil man siya sa mga polis. Ingon sila una daw nagpaboto akong bana. Wala kami’y pusil, kutsilyo lang ang naa sa amoa,” she said.