Duterte orders arrest of remaining cop killers

DAVAO CITY -- A local official ordered Tuesday the capture of three remaining suspects in a bus robbery holdup that killed an off-duty cop in this city last week.

Furious about the cop's death, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to arrest the three remaining suspects in the death of Senior Police Officer 1 Ronie Panganiban, a cop assigned at the Marilog police station.

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Panganiban, along with a colleague, was riding on a Rural Transit bus traveling on Davao-Bukidnon Highway in Marilog district last September 1 when six armed men shot him from behind before declaring a hold-up.

Panganiban became an easy target because he was wearing his police uniform. His companion, Police Officer 2 Diamela Bargayo, who was in civilian attire and seated at the rear portion of the bus, escaped unscathed.

Duterte ordered the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) to produce the remaining suspects "dead or alive."

The three fugitives were identified as certain Edwin alias Laug, a certain Mervin, and an alias Kirat. Five suspects, including a couple who owns a safe house, were earlier arrested in follow-up police operations last week.

Ricky Pardillo, the alleged gang leader and mastermind, was killed in a shootout with police operatives in Buhangin district last September 2. He was allegedly the one who shot Panganiban.

Duterte rewarded the DCPO for the death of Pardillo, saying he was happy that the gang leader was killed and the co-conspirators arrested.

Duterte personally handed a P100,000 "reward" to DCPO Director Rene Aspera at the DCPO conference room Monday night.

The vice mayor also gave an expensive watch to a member of the city's Special Weapons and Tactics who shot Pardillo, but the DCPO refused to name the police officer.

Mayor Sara Duterte said during the first meeting of the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) last September 2 that "well-performing police should be given rewards."

Aspera, for his part, said it is the inherent duty of the police to perform at their best with or without rewards.

But because the vice mayor insisted to give the reward, Aspera said they will use the reward money to enhance DCPO's investigation mechanism. (Jade C. Zaldivar/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)