THE suspected killer of an elderly couple in Quezon City was killed on Wednesday evening, May 29, 2019, about 24 hours after he was arrested.

Carl Joseph Bañanola allegedly tried to grab the firearm of one of his four police escorts while inside a police mobile car at around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday.

He was rushed to the East Avenue Hospital for treatment but was declared dead on arrival.

PNP spokesperson Colonel Bernard Banac assured that an investigation on the incident would be conducted.

“Any police intervention is always done with presumption of regularity following standard police operating procedures, in this case, on custody of suspects and on self defense,” he said.

“Part of the procedures is for those cops on duty to undergo investigation and give account of the incident and to submit their firearms for ballistics examination... We assure the public that as a professional organization, the PNP always accords suspects under custody with proper protection and utmost respect for human rights,” he added.

In a report, the Quezon City Police District said Bañanola was being transported by four police personnel back to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit in Camp Karingal after undergoing inquest proceedings at the Quezon City Hall of Justice.

He reportedly asked one of the officers to loosen his handcuff. After Police Senior Sergeant Alex Icban heeded his request, Bañanola allegedly grabbed the gun of Icban, resulting in a scuffle between the two.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Rossel Cejas came to the rescue and shot Bañanola to disable him.

Bañanola was arrested on Tuesday evening in Doña Rita, Quezon City after a witness identified him as the person responsible for killing couple Nicolas and Leonora Austria, 86 and 87 years old, respectively, inside their house in Novaliches.

The couple’s household helper, also a senior citizen, was also hurt in the incident after the suspect hit her with a metal pipe.

The suspect admitted to the crime, saying that his primary motive was to rob the victims. Killing them was an “accident,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)