THE Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) is preparing murder, frustrated murder and robbery charges against three persons responsible for the death of SPO1 Pedro Sucion and the wounding of PO2 Darius Conejos.
Acting MCPO Director Rodel Calungsud identified one of the suspects as Jugron Lumapas, who has pending robbery cases.
Sucion, 50, and Cone-jos, 35, were on night patrol last Sunday when, at around 3 a.m., they chanced upon three unidentified men rushing to ride a tricycle.
They each drove their personal motorcycle and stopped the tricycle but as they approached, one of the men who was inside the vehicle called Sucion by his nickname, Pete, and shot him.
Calungsud told reporters a wallet with an identification card found at the crime scene led them to Lumapas.
Sucion once arrested Lumapas for robbery, which was why Lumapas may have recognized him when he and Conejos approached the tricycle, Calungsud added.
The MCPO chief however refused to name Lumapas’ companions, who are residents of Lapu-Lapu City.
Lumapas, who is from Mandaue, and his group were tagged as being behind robberies pulled on cab drivers along F.F. Cruz.
The killing of Sucion and the wounding of Conejos has prompted Police Regional Director Ronald Roderos to order Calungsud to direct MCPO’s Special Weapons and Tactics to conduct a refresher course for each of the police stations in Mandaue City.
The basic police intervention techniques will reorient them on how to conduct checkpoints, make arrests and how to conduct search and seizure operations. Training will begin today at the MCPO headquarters.
Roderos also plans to ask the Special Action Force to hold close-quarter battle training within the year and firearms proficiency training at the station, police office and, eventually, regional level.
He reminded police personnel in the region to be careful in dealing with armed and dangerous persons, noting that the firearms of the two policemen were not yet drawn when they responded to the alarm and even after they heard a gunshot earlier.
Calungsud, for his part, hoped that the incident will prod the Mandaue City Government hasten the process of acquiring police cars for their stations.
Mayor Jonas Cortes reportedly told him he will buy eight vehicles, one per police precinct and two for the MCPO headquarters.
But Cortes and Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, he said, seemed to have different choices of vehicles: Cortes preferred a Toyota Avanza while Fortuna wanted a Toyota Hilux.
“Inato man gud kaayo to pagkaresponde ang alarma kay sila-sila ra. Bentaha unta og naa’y sakyanan kay naa sila’y back-up,” Calungsud said.
Cortes and Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, however, insisted that mobility was not an issue, as vehicles have already been assigned to the MCPO and more are coming in.
“The issue here are the rules (policemen must follow in) handling the situation at hand,” Fortuna said.
Cortes ordered yesterday the recall of four Toyota Revo issued to department heads so these can be turned over to the MCPO.
Before that, five cars and five motorcycles were issued to the police.
The mayor promised to speed up the purchase of 12 additional motorcycles funded by last month’s 7th supplemental budget.
Fortuna said Land Bank of the Philippines is already processing the city’s loan for the purchase of cars.
Both the mayor and vice mayor also agreed on the problem of street lighting, especially on the roads in the vicinity of the Cebu International Convention Center, which is not far from the crime scene.
Power for the street lamps was disconnected after the Asean Summit when the lamp contractor stopped paying the monthly electric bills for these.
Cortes is negotiating with the Visayan Electric Co. for the reconnection of electricity, with the city footing the monthly bills.
Meanwhile, Fortuna said he will discuss with the City Council tomorrow the release of P100,000 reward for the arrest of the suspects.
The mayor also promised to facilitate the giving of financial aid to the families of Sucion and Conejos. (MEA/OCP/Super-balita)
