Worker accused of girl’s murder gunned down inside detention cell

DAVAO CITY—A worker who admitted abducting and killing a six-year old girl last month was shot dead by police inside his detention cell here on Tuesday, authorities said.

Rico Jay Labao, 27, was pronounced dead by doctors after the shooting inside the Talomo police detention cell past 9 a.m., according to Senior Insp. Teresita Gaspan, Davao City Police Office spokesperson.

Police were doing Oplan Galugad (inspection rounds) inside Labao’s cell when he allegedly tried to grab the gun of one of the officers, prompting the shooting, Gaspan said.

Labao owned up to strangling a neighbor to death in a wooded area several hundred meters from her house on Sept. 23.

He  confessed to authorities that he was drunk when he committed the crime but he did not rape her. /ee