Murder raps filed vs suspect in Labuson slay

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A murder charge was filed against the lone suspect in the case of a teenage boy who was shot dead as he chased a robber in Jaro, Iloilo City in April 2021.

Captain Eduardo Siacon, Jaro police chief, said the case against the gunman was filed July 2 with the Iloilo City Prosecutors’ Office.

As the warrant of arrest is yet to be issued, Siacon temporarily declined to name the suspect who allegedly killed 19-year-old Karl Dominic Labuson.

But he claimed that the accused, who is a resident of Iloilo province, had previous robbery cases.

However, “after the commission of the crime and even until now, we have not monitored him at his last known address,” Siacon said.

He said that they have witnesses who positively identified the suspect.

“Kilala gid nila personal,” he said even though the suspect was wearing a face mask when the incident happened.

Siacon said they also used CCTV footages from the areas where the suspect passed by when he escaped.

Earlier on, the police said they had two “persons of interest” behind the killing of Labuson.

Aside from the accused, police had previously eyed another person from Lapuz district, Iloilo City.

It can be noted that the gunman was wearing a nutshell helmet and a face mask when he staged the botched robbery.

The female victim in the botched robbery pointed to the Iloilo province-based person of interest as the possible suspect. She based her claim on the eyes, the color of the suspect’s facial skin, and his built.

Based on CCTV footages, the assailant was driving a black Honda Click 150i motorcycle with no license plate.

The victim’s family earlier offered a P100,000 monetary reward for those who could provide information that would lead to the identification and possible arrest of the gunman who shot the 19-year old Labuson evening of Black Saturday.

The victim, a resident of Barangay Carimayor, Leganes, Iloilo and son of Leganes Sangguniang Bayan member Larry Labuson, was killed by the robber he was trying to chase near the entrance of Metropolis Subdivision in Barangay Tagbac, Jaro, around 7:30 p.m. of April 3.

Labuson succumbed to a gunshot wound on his right temple and chest.

The victim was a college student taking up a Maritime course.

Police investigation indicated that the incident stemmed from the robbery incident in nearby Leganes town.

Labuson and his younger sister went for a ride on his motorcycle to the town proper area. He left her sister at a convenience store while he went to a nearby fuel station.

But before he could even tank up, he heard a woman shout at the nearby Jardeleza Arcade.

A man appeared to be trying to rob the woman and immediately fled.

Labuson allegedly left the area and chased after the suspect.

When they reached the Metropolis area, the suspect slowed down after apparently seeing a police mobile patrol that responded to a road accident several meters away.

Labuson then shouted at the alleged robber “Dulog, dulog.” (Stop, stop).

“The tricycle drivers plying the area thought that it was a case of road rage,” Siacon said.

True enough, the suspect stopped only to pull his gun and shot Labuson twice.

Labuson was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center.