Former Village Councilor Killed in Police Confrontation in San Fernando
A former village councilor, identified as 44-year-old Jay Niño Langbid Castañares, died after clashing with authorities in Sitio Boloc-Boloc, Barangay Sangat, San Fernando town on Saturday, March 21, 2026. Castañares had served as a Barangay Sangat councilor for three terms from 2007 to 2018, but his final term was cut short by an arrest for illegal drugs in 2017.
Recent Allegations and Criminal Activities
Police records indicate that Castañares was recently implicated in the March 21 shooting of gulaman vendor Emilio Miñoza Sabroso in the same sitio. Investigators reported that Castañares suspected Sabroso of being a police informant, leading him to lie in wait and shoot the vendor in the forehead. Additionally, he was the prime suspect in the Jan. 22 shooting of 24-year-old Jericho Cañas Babayran in Barangay Greenhills, although the victim's family ultimately declined to file a case despite coordinating with San Fernando police.
Extensive Criminal History Spanning Over a Decade
Castañares' documented criminal history dates back more than a decade, involving multiple serious offenses. On June 4, 2010, National Bureau of Investigation agents arrested him for his alleged involvement in the ambush-slay of Florante Gudoy, husband of Capt. Fe Gudoy of Naga City. The attack occurred in Barangay Cantao-an while the victim was riding a Ford Everest with his wife and a village watchman.
Two years later, on May 13, 2012, police captured Castañares again after identifying him as one of the gunmen who killed Carl Vinzon Apura, son of the Carcar City mayor, in Sitio Upper Tubod, Barangay Valladolid. His criminal activities continued with another arrest on Feb. 11, 2017, when Carcar City police intercepted him at a checkpoint with packets of suspected shabu. He subsequently served time at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
Beyond narcotics, police records link Castañares to a string of murders spanning several years, underscoring a pattern of violent behavior that culminated in his fatal clash with authorities.
