2 killed as police arrest murder suspect in Ormoc

ORMOC City, Philippines—Two people were killed and five others wounded in what police claim described as a shootout that broke out when a suspect in a murder case resisted attempts by police to arrest him on Monday afternoon. The suspect was one of those killed.

Senior Superintendent Nilo Donayre, Ormoc City police chief, on Tuesday identified the fatalities as Danny Dañas, a suspect in a murder case, and his cousin, Irish Dañas, who were both hit on the abdomen and died hours after the shooting.

Irish was taken to the Ormoc Sugarcane Planters Association–Farmers’ Medical Center (Ospa-FMC) in Ormoc City where she died. Dañas, on the other hand, managed to escape but eventually surrendered and died at the Ormoc District Hospital at 11 p.m. Monday.

The wounded were 2-year-old Lyka Cañete, daughter of Irish and Barangay (village) Liberty treasurer Danilo Cañete; Irish’s 14-year-old sister Aileen; 8-year-old Jossebel Briton; Leonides Negosa, 28; and Emelyn Calob, 33. They suffered single gunshot wounds in different parts of the body.

Donayre said the incident occurred when the police tried to serve a warrant of arrest for murder on Dañas at the house of Cañete in Barangay Liberty, Ormoc City, at 4 p.m. Monday.

Cañete was the live-in partner of Irish with whom he has four children.

When Dañas sighted the policemen, he allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired at them, prompting the policemen to fire back, Donayre said.

Donayre said the police hit Dañas but the latter escaped through the backdoor of the house.

He added that the policemen did not pursue the suspect because they had to attend to the wounded who had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

At 6 p.m., Barangay Liberty chairman Demetrio Dañas was informed by the barangay chairman of Ga-as, a neighboring village, that the wounded suspect surrendered to him past 5 p.m.

The suspect was taken initially to the OSPA-FMC for treatment of his wound and barangay chairman Dañas turned over to the police a revolver loaded with six bullets from the suspect, Donayre said.