A POLICEMAN was stabbed by a man he tried to calm down in Barangay Punong, Samboan at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Hit in his right forearm, allegedly by Manuel Balbuena Jr., PO2 Catalino Ricablanca retaliated by firing his M-16 rifle at the suspect’s left foot.
Fortunately, the two were not killed.
Ricablanca and PO2 Harold Tudtud went to the barangay after tanod Dario Hisoler asked them to help pacify Balbuena, who was arguing with his wife.
SPO1 Allan Almedillo told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview that Ricablanca opted to shoot, to neutralize Balbuena, who refused to calm down.
“He had no other choice,” Almedillo said of the policeman.
After the shooting, Ricablanca and Tudtud brought Balbuena to a hospital in Moalboal, Almedillo said.
Ricablanca, who was declared in stable condition despite his stab wound, was promised financial assistance from the Cebu Provincial Police Office.
Balbuena has a previous record in the Samboan Police Station for allegedly hurting his wife.
Yesterday morning, Balbuena’s mother went to the station to report last Friday’s incident.
Balbuena, who was transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, was declared out of danger.