Mayor: Sack all Carbon policemen

An exasperated Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said he wants all Carbon station policemen replaced after a 28-year-old man was shot dead in front of the police station in barangay Ermita at dawn yesterday.

“I can’t understand what happened and where the policemen were. I want all of them replaced but the police chief will be the last to be relieved,” Rama told a news conference.

The victim, 28-year-old Juncel Misa of barangay Duljo Fatima, was shot dead at about 2 a.m.

Police said the gunman, a certain Agao, was with a male companion during the shooting. He fired several times at Misa’s head before going to a waiting motorcycle and speeding off.

The shooting may have something to do with theft complaints against Misa, said Senior Insp. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, chief of the homicide section of the Cebu City police.

Chief Insp. Pablo Cabildo was installed as Carbon police chief only last month.

He replaced Chief Insp. Renero Agustin, whom the mayor ordered relieved after a police asset of the Barangay Intelligence Network was shot dead in the Carbon Market Complex.

Rama said he wanted to know Cabildo’s plans and wants him to stay to give him chance to prove what he can do.

Witnesses told police that the shooting victim, Misa, approached the assailant, who handed him cash before firing several times at his head and face.

Barangay Ermita tanods responded and brought the victim to the Cebu City Medical Center.

Mayor Rama said he wanted to know where the policemen were when the shooting occurred and how fast it took for police to respond to the crime.

During the press briefing, Rama phoned his consultant Jose Maria Eugene Elizalde, head of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC).

Rama instructed Elizalde to call a special meeting with PCAC to discuss the shooting.

City police chief Ramon Melvin Buenafe is a member of the council.

The mayor said he wanted to “make a strong statement” about the Carbon shooting.

The mayor earlier asked for the replacement of all Fuente police personnel before he allowed the occupancy of the new police station located in front of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, which the city government helped build.