Cops question 3; slain guards buried

Police yesterday held for questioning three men who allegedly helped Jujun Cabando also known as Dionisio Cabatingan escape following a robbery and shootout in Robinson’s Place in Cebu City.

Marino “Rene” Ochea, a registered pump boat operator, Antonio Balingit, a “pahenante”  and Luisito Ochea were questioned by the City Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office.

“We requested the three men to come with us last Saturday in Tangke, Talisay. We came upon  Antonio Balingit repainting the pumpboat,” said PO1 Jessie Tanola of CIB.

They confirmed that Cabando, accompanied by his live-in  partner Merly  and two men,  boarded their pump boat last Saturday on the way to Panglao Island in  Bohol province.

They said Cabando wore  a duster and a wig as a disguise.

Cebu City police director Senior Supt. Ramon Melvin Buenafe said Cabando could not have worn jeans since he got hit in the buttocks.

CIB’s Chief Insp. Romeo Santander identified the men as Tonton and Bulljack,  who with Cabando were the remaining members of a band of robbers from Ozamiz City in Mindanao.

Marino, in an interview, said a pale  Cabando who was clearly in pain, paid P15,000 for the trip to Bohol.

Police said they are trying to determine if the boat owner and workers helped Cabando and company flee.

Meanwhile, the family laid to rest the  two security guards who were killed in the shootout.

Leofer Etac, 34, was buried last Sunday  in Carreta cemetery and Lito Odag, 38, was buried in the same cemetery yesterday.

Odag’s wife Elma burst into tears and fainted while viewing her husband’s corpse for the last time.

Two relatives held and fanned her until she regained consciousness.

The Odags’ 11-year-old daughter, Eunice, sobbed as she left on her father’s coffin the silver medal that she won for gymnastics in this year’s Milo Olympics.

Eunice said she has been absent from school since her father died. She said the medal was her parting gift to her father.