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Tuesday, May 25, 2004
1 dead, 1 hurt in police officers' duel
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- One senior police officer got killed while a top police official sustained six gunshot wounds after they figured in a duel at the main gate of Xavier Heights in Upper Balulang, Cagayan de Oro near midnight Sunday.
Police identified the officers as 46-year-old SPO2 Benjamin Soler of Barangay Patag and Insp. Elmer Robas, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 10 based in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.
Soler who is assigned at the Lumbia police precinct sustained several gunshot wounds causing his death while Robas, a resident of Xavier Heights, sustained gunshot wounds in his two legs.
Members of the Carmen police precinct, Lumbia police and Scene on the Crime Operation (Soco) unit responded to the incident where they found two officers were lying on their backs.
Taken from the area were 24 empty shells of M-16 rifle and six empty shells from a .45 pistol.
Robas was immediately brought to the Polymedic General Hospital and his condition had yet to be determined as of press time Monday.
Police interrogated two civilian peace volunteers in the area concerning the duel.
Lumbia police precinct Chief Insp. Auxillador Flores said investigation showed that Soler arrived outside the Xavier Heights gate looking for someone.
Panic
Soler is said to be looking for a certain "Boy" and when the civilian volunteers told him they don't know who he was looking for, he fired a few shots.
Robas arrived in the area just as the people were in a panic about the shooting.
"Ni-uli kuno ni si Robas sa ilang balay nikuha og M16 ug nibalik sa maong dapit sakay sa iyang (Robas went home and took his M-16 rifle and returned to the area riding in his) Pajero," Flores said.
Flores said Robas identified himself as a police officer but Soler responded by dismissing him.
"(Ingon ni Soler) ngano man diay kong pulis ka...ug ang nakita sa mga tanod nga sige iwakli ni Soler ang armalite nga dala ni Robas," Flores added. (Soler said so what if he's a police officer...and then the tanods saw Soler warding the armalite rifle brought by Robas,)
Soler was toting his .45 caliber pistol at the time.
As the two policemen were arguing, residents said they suddently heard a succession of gunshots.
Soler was reportedly on duty at the time and sought permission from his team leader to go out to fetch someone.
Soler was reportedly drunk when he left the Lumbia precinct. "Naka-inom kuno gamay ingon sa iyang mga kauban," Flores confirmed. (His fellow cops said he had drunk a little alcohol.)
The Lumbia police precinct said it is still investigating the case but Flores said they might move for another agency to probe the incident so that Robas would not complain of bias in the investigation into the incident. (Jenefer Besere)
(May 25, 2004 issue)
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