Airport cop killed in rob try

An airport policeman was shot dead by two holdup men in Pasay City last Monday night, police said yesterday.

The Pasay police identified the victim as Cpl. George Tumamao, assigned at the Manila International Airport Authority and a resident of the city.

Tumamao, who sustained a gunshot wound in the nape, was dead on arrival at the San Juan de Dios Hospital.

Initial investigation conducted by Police Officer 2 Ricardo Tan of the Pasay Police Criminal Investigation Division, showed that the incident happened around 6 p.m. in front of a gate along the Service Road on Roxas Boulevard.

The victim was on board a Honda XRM motorcycle and was cruising along Roxas Boulevard when, upon reaching Gate 2219, two suspects, also on board a motorcycle, shot him.

Officers doing rounds in the area rushed the victim to the hospital.

Though the suspects eluded arrest, they failed to take the P146,000 Tumamao was carrying.

Tan said they are now conducting a follow-up operation to track down and identify the two suspects.

Meanwhile, a 52-year-old retired police colonel died at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal early yesterday after suffering a heart attack while waiting for an Air Philippines flight going to Dumaguete City.

NAIA Centennial police authorities identified the passenger as Adonice Pinongcos, a retired police officer of the Philippine National Police with the rank of superintendent. He was reportedly a native of Negros Oriental.

Pinongcos was inside the pre-boarding area of the said terminal, awaiting the departure of Air Philippines Flight 2P791 when he suddenly collapsed.

The airport’s emergency response team rushed to his aid and tried to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation for about 10 minutes.

This, however, proved futile .

Airport police still rushed Pinongcos to the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay City, where doctors pronounced him dead. — Rhodina Villanueva, Rainier Allan Ronda