THAT dreaded riding-in-tandem killers have struck again and this time, a cop in Negros Oriental is the victim.
Police Executive Master Sgt. Roldan Esmajer, who was on his way to work from his home, was killed after two men in a motorcycle gunned him down just as he reached the highway.
One of the witnesses told police the motorcycle was following the victim and that it was the back rider, who was wearing a black jacket, who pulled out his gun.
Esmajer fell and his assailants approached him and fired more shots before leaving the scene.
The cop sustained three gunshot wounds from an undetermined caliber. He was rushed to the Silliman Medical Center in Dumaguete City but was dead on arrival. Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered a slug from an M16 rifle.
Police Col. Julian Entoma, chief of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (Noppo), said they are looking at a personal grudge or work-related issues as motive. They are also checking if the New People’s Army was invovled.
Entoma said Esmajer confiscated last year almost a kilo of shabu and the drug personalities involved may have plotted their revenge.
Entoma said Esmajer was a good policeman and was not involved in anything illegal.
“He was an anti-illegal drug operative for so long and he performed well. He also has no administrative cases and wasn’t known to be a protector of illegal drugs. That 1.6 kilo haul in San Jose happened because of him,” Entoma said.
Entoma said they already have persons of interest in the case but they will have to study the leads further. (AYB, ML)