(Updated) A 37-year-old active police officer, who reportedly had drug links, was shot dead past 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, in Toledo City, Cebu.
The fatality was identified as Police Officer 2 Melchizedek Batomalaque, who succumbed to gunshot wounds in the head and chest.
Investigation showed the victim came from his house in Sitio Kabangkalan, Barangay Daangungsod before the incident happened.
Batomalaque was driving his motorcycle when he was attacked by the gunman. He was rushed to Toledo City District Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival by the doctor.
In 2016, he was transferred to southern Mindanao for his alleged involvement in illegal drug trade.
Batomalaque's death happened six days after the murder of Police Officer 3 Jonathan Tilos, who was shot dead by an unknown assassins in Alegria last June 13.
Last April 24, Police Officer 2 Kenneth Pogoy, an alleged narco-cop, was shot dead near Plaza Independencia in Cebu City. He had been assigned to Marawi City before the murder happened.
Two police-initiated drug busts resulted in the deaths of two active police officers in the past ten months.
Senior Inspector Raymond Hortezuela of Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office was killed in Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City, while Police Officer 3 Ryan Martus Quiamco died with his wife after he engaged the anti-narcotics operatives in a shootout in Talisay City in August 2017.
Investigators have yet to determine if Batomalaque was one of the active police officers who went absent without official leave (Awol).
Police Regional Office-Central Visayas Director Debold Sinas said they received reports that several police officers linked to drug trafficking have been Awol for some time and returned to Cebu. (Arnold Bustamante/SuperBalita Cebu; Kevin Lagunda/SunStar Cebu)