Bacolod cop gunned down

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  – A 24-year-old policeman was gunned down early morning Tuesday in brgy. Taculing of this city, and similar to the killing of a barangay chairman in Lambunao, Iloilo on Monday, investigators here have been eyeing at love triangle as the possible motive.

Authorities identified the victim as PO1 Robert Espinosa, single and a resident of Puentebella Subdivision in Taculing.

According to witnesses, two men, each of who was riding a motorcycle, had shot Espinosa. A tricycle driver found the victim lying on the road beside his own motorcycle, police reports said.

Espinosa sustained a fatal gunshot wound in the head at 2:15 a.m. Tuesday and was declared dead at 3:45 a.m. by his attending physician at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, police said.  

Senior Supt. Ricardo dela Paz, city police director, said they are eyeing “love triangle” as a possible motive behind the killing.

Based on the initial investigations, a man had threatened Espinosa three days before he was killed.

This man claimed that he saw his live-in partner riding a motorcycle with Espinosa. He even conducted surveillance at the police station to see who Espinosa is, and then went to the victim’s residence to tell the family to warn the policeman, dela Paz said.

Police sources also disclosed they saw the victim and the suspect’s girlfriend having a drinking spree the night before the killing happened, he said.

The police are conducting a manhunt on the suspect and his live-in partner for investigation, de la Paz said.

On the same day of the killing, Dela Paz has created “Task Force Espinosa” headed by Deputy City Director Supt. Alexander Ermeo to work with the Intelligence Branch, Investigation Detection Management Branch, Police Station 6, Criminal Investigation Detection Group-Bacolod and the PNP Crime Laboratory. (FREEMAN)