Top Drug Suspect Executed

[Sitbcknchill]

A SUSPECTED big-time drug pusher was gunned down vigilante-style in the house of the Barangay Pasil captain yesterday afternoon.

Wilfredo "Lawlaw" Cabanit, 50, was talking with Barangay Captain Romeo Ocarol's wife when a man wearing a helmet and a ski mask walked up to him and shot him several times. The gunman fled on a motorcycle a companion was driving.

Neighbors condemned the killing, especially that Cabanit was still mourning his father's death last week.

When Cabanit is brought home today, the family will have a wake for two.

Cabanit, 50, did not make it to the Cebu City Medical Center ( CCMC ), where a neighbor and Barangay Councilor Mario Bitang brought him after the attack at 5 p.m. Cabanit died from eight gunshot wounds.

He is the 106th victim in a series of vigilante-style killings.

The attack came exactly one year and a day since the spate of summary executions in Cebu City began. Police have not identified the gunmen in nearly all of the killings.

Watch List

Yesterday afternoon, a motorcycle stopped in front of Ocarol's house. Since the house had no gate, a man casually walked up to Cabanit, who was sitting beside Ocarol's wife, Emmy, and shot him repeatedly.

The man walked back to his companion and they fled toward the neighboring Barangay Suba.

Homicide investigator Alex Dacua said he recovered six empty shells and a slug from a .45 pistol.

In 2004, Cabanit topped the watch list of drug personalities in Cebu City and was among the top 15 drug personalities being hunted by the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force.

After members of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau caught him last Jan. 22, 2004, he reportedly stopped engaging in the illegal drug trade.

His neighbors, who requested not to be named, said that since Cabanit was released from jail, he tried to earn a living selling fish at the Pasil Fish Market.

No Mercy

"Nganong ilang diritsoon og patay nga namaligya na man lang na siya og isda? Wala na man siya anang shabu ( Why must they kill him when he was only selling fish? He stopped trading shabu )," one resident said.

Sun.Star Cebu tried to reach Ocarol's wife or Cabanit's relatives, but they refused an interview.

Cabanit's father, Amado, is scheduled for burial on Thursday next week.

"Grabe sab sila, wala gyod sila maluoy. Karon duha na silang hayaon si Lawlaw ug ang iyang Papa ( They have no mercy )," a neighbor said.

Cabanit was caught in 1999 for alleged possession of illegal drugs.

After his arrest in January last year, he posted bail for P300,000.

Source: Sun.Star Cebu (Philippines)