A POLICE officer assigned in the Maritime Group was gunned down in front of his house in Barangay Babag, Lapu-Lapu City last Friday night, May 3.
Investigators from the Hoopsdome Police Station identified the victim as Police Master Sergeant Joseph Villamor.
Police Master Sergeant Rudy Janagap of the Hoopsdome Police Station told SunStar Cebu and Superbalita Cebu that Villamor was standing outside his house and talking to someone when two unidentified men on board a black and yellow scooter suddenly approached him at 7:57 p.m.
One of the two men, identified as the passenger, suddenly pulled out his pistol and shot Villamor in the head once.
After Villamor fell on the ground, the gunman fired several shots at the police officer before the gunman and his companion fled to an unknown direction.
Villamor died instantly.
Police found eight empty shells from a .45 pistol at the scene.
Jaganap said Villamor worked as an intelligence officer assigned in various PNP Maritime Units in the Visayas.
Before his assignment at the PNP Maritime Group, Villamor worked for the Lapu-Lapu City Intelligence Branch from 2014 to 2015.
Jaganap said Villamor recently returned home as he was scheduled to attend a hearing at the Lapu-Lapu City Palace of Justice next week.
Villamor is survived by his wife, Police Master Sergeant Laila Samson Villamor, who is assigned at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.
Jaganap said they still had no idea who was behind Villamor’s murder.
In a separate interview, Police Chief Master Sergeant Mer Acebron of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office said they would check if Villamor’s killers were caught on security cameras in the area.
Acebron said there was a possibility that Villamor’s murder was related to his work.
Although the slain police officer never mentioned any threats to his life to his family, there might have been people out there who wanted him dead because of his work as an intelligence officer, he said.
Acebron said he had heard rumors linking Villamor to the illegal drug trade and to retired PRO 7 director Marcelo Garbo, whom President Rodrigo Duterte had named a drug protector.
“Wala man mi idea pa na-involve ba ni sa drugas kay amo imbetigasyon padayon pa gyud. Di pud mi kasulti pa ana mga taho nga driver siya kaniadto ni Garbo (We have no idea if he was involved in illegal drugs since our investigation is still ongoing. We also can’t comment on rumors that he was connected to Garbo),” Acebron added. (from FVQ, GCM of SuperBalita Cebu/JKV)