A FORMER police officer and a drug surrenderer were shot dead in separate incidents in Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.
The former police officer of Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), who worked as an inspector and collector of a security agency, was killed in Zone 6, Barangay Canduman around 9 a.m. Friday, March 02, 2018.
The victim was identified as Rey Manatad, 46, a resident of Zone 1 in the same barangay.
Police Officer 3 Necaver Balberde of Mandaue Police Station 6 said Manatad was collecting the daily time records of the security guards of a printing company when two unidentified assailants came and shot him several times.
The culprits were wearing bonnets and helmets and were riding a black motorcycle.
Manatad was declared dead by a medical team that responded to the area.
Several empty shells and bullets were recovered in the crime scene.
Chief Inspector Mercy Villaro, spokesperson of MCPO, said Manatad, who had a rank of senior police officer 1, was the police officer who was found positive of illegal drugs during a drug test in MCPO last May 23, 2016.
From MCPO, he was relieved and assigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit last July 5, 2016.
He was relieved again and reassigned to the Police Regional Office of Cordillera.
Villaro said Manatad had absences without an official leave when he was assigned in Cordillera.
“Pero before pana sya napa drug test kay sige nana sya og absent. Amoa napud padad-an og return to work order, mobalik napud sya’g duty, tapos mawala napud. Until gi-subject for drugtest,” said Villaro.
She said a personal grudge from a co-worker of Manatad can be the possible motive of the shooting.
In Lapu-Lapu, Garneth Hiyas, 32, a drug surrenderer, was shot by unknown gunmen after he bought fish in the market in Sitio Datag, Barangay Maribago at 7 a.m. last Thursday, March 1.
Hiyas, a resident of Sitio Abono in Barangay Pajac, was about to start his motorcycle to leave from the area when the gunman appeared behind him and shot him once in the head.
The suspect immediately rode a motorcycle, which was driven by his cohort.
Hiyas was brought to Lapu-Lapu City Hospital, but was declared dead.
Authorities were conducting follow-up operations to identify the culprits. (FMG/SunStar Cebu)