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Monday, May 30, 2005
Former anti-drug agency director killed by own gun
By Ben O. Tesiorna and Joy G. Romares
POLICE Superintendent Efren Alcuizar, until last month the regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 12, passed away Sunday morning, a victim of his own gun.
Alcuizar was pronounced dead by his doctors at around 2 a.m. inside the intensive care unit of the Davao Doctors' Hospital where he was confined for a gunshot wound, which he reportedly sustained when one of his guns accidentally fired.
He was about to sit in a chair at a fruit stall to eat durian Friday morning in a barangay in Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur when the gun placed in a holster in his back accidentally fired and hit him.
He expired after several of his vital organs collapsed due to complications, his doctors said.
The remains of Alcuizar, who was also once Narcotics Command 11 chief, now lie in state at Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes.
Alcuizar succumbed to a lone gunshot wound in the back, which the police attributed to accidental firing.
His family, however, believes that Alcuizar was shot by an unidentified gunman inside a yellow Crosswind vehicle that was tailing them that Friday morning.
Alcuizar and his family were on their way to Digos City from Davao City last May 27 when they stopped at a fruit stand in Barangay Tuban at around 10 a.m.
The police officer was about to sit down on a bench when a shot was heard. Seconds later Alcuizar was seen bleeding before collapsing.
Gloria Gemone, Alcuizar's aunt, said in a radio interview Sunday they will ask the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident.
"Wala siya naunay. Salig mi sa Ginoo nga may kasulbaran ang tanan (He was not hit by his own gun. We believe his death will be given justice)," she said.
Superintendent Ernesto Velasco, Davao del Sur acting provincial police director, said two witnesses, identified as Rosalia Elona and Leonyl Elona, said just as Alcuizar was about to sit on the inclined bench of the fruit stand a shot rang out.
The witnesses then saw Alcuizar's stomach bloat as he collapsed.
Velasco said based on their initial investigation, Alcuizar had two caliber .45 pistols tucked in holsters placed on his belt--one on his side while the other at his back.
Alcuizar was a bemedalled police officer with several achievements during his stint as Narcom 11 chief few years ago. He was then transferred to General Santos City to head PDEA 12.
Just this year, he was reassigned to Region 11 detailed under the office of the police regional director. He was on so-called "floating status" at the time of his death. |
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