LAOAG CITY, May 14–A city jail guard of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology was gunned down allegedly by a van-riding man in front of a gasoline station at Brgy. 2, this city last night, acting police chief Jeffrey Gorospe reported.
Supt. Gorospe identified the fatality as Jail Officer 1 Jazon Cabanatan, 30, married and native of Batac City. At press time, the suspect’s identity was withheld as lawmen tracked him down.
The suspect shot the victim first at gunpoint and followed by more gunshots on the fallen victim’s body. The victim was pronounced dead on arrival at the GRASMHospital here.
A PNP SOCO team found at the crime scene eight empty shells for bullets of caliber .9mm pistol.
The shooting occurred a few meters away from the BJMP detention compound. Cabanatan was already off-duty when the incident happened . He was wearing a short pant and a t-shirt with a BJMP marking at the back.
A CCTV camera of the gasoline station had captured the actual shooting.
The footage showed that the victim, together with companion, was walking away after coming from the gas station convenience store when they met a slow moving van which arrived to refuel.
The footage further showed that the victim approached the van and confronted the driver whom he slapped on the face. In split seconds, a blaze of successive gunshots from the driver’s window could be seen in the footage as the victim fell and the body sprawled on the concrete pavement.
The last seconds on the footage showed that the gunman quickly drove away and fled from the crime scene.
The aforesaid CCTV camera footage was replayed by local TV stations ABS-CBN and GMA afternoon newscast program here.
A security guard on duty at the gas station said he did not see the actual shooting noting he merely heard the rapid gunshots.
Investigators theorized that the victim confronted the suspect apparently either the van nearly sideswiped the two or the van headlight directed towards them apparently irked the victim.
Meanwhile, City BJMP jail warden Hermie Rivera had lamented the killing of his man Cabanatan, who had been in the service for seven years.(jrg/ga/jg/kl/rj/rs)
