Cop accused of shooting man in Carbon area

A policeman assigned to the Carbon police station has been accused of shooting a man last August 26 along Manalili Street, Carbon market.

Inspector Erlando Metante of the Homicide Section said that Jessie Regner, brought with him yesterday a witness claiming to have seen PO1 Allan Caumeran shoot his son Bilbixby, 22, while he was running away at the said market place.

Police homicide investigators led by PO3 Henry Orbiso earlier said Regner was shot by two men, Alexander Ali alias "Alex Muslim" and a certain Rahman.

Orbiso said Regner was seen being chased and shot at by the two while running towards Calderon Street in the Carbon area. Market goers Felix Masong and Rodney Pardillo, 10, were hit by stray bullets during the chase.

The gunshots caught the attention of Caumeran who was visiting a friend nearby.

Orbiso said that Caumeran saw Regner running but did not see anybody shooting at him, prompting Caumeran to suspect that he had done something wrong and drew his firearm since he saw the victim allegedly draw something from the waistband of his pants.

Caumeran, following with his weapon drawn, said he saw Regner suddenly fall into a used clothing pile. When he checked on Regner, he saw he had five gunshot wounds in different parts of his body prompting him to send him to Cebu City Medical Center.

During the confrontation yesterday at the Homicide Section office, Regner's father brought with him a man who claimed to have seen Caumeran shoot Regner.

But Orbiso said that Caumeran denied the allegation claiming that he only drew his gun to be prepared for anything that could happen.

Caumeran brought with him his own witness to support his claim that he did not shoot the victim.

Metante said he advised Regner to file frustrated murder against Alex Ali and Rahman, who were allegedly identified by the victim himself before he lost consciousness while on his way to the hospital.

He said that the service firearm of Caumeran will be submitted to the PNP Crime Laboratory for ballistics testing to match the slugs recovered at the crime scene and from Bilbixby's body.

The family of Regner is planning to file administrative charges against Caumeran before the Internal Affairs Service.

The investigators are also asking witnesses to step forward as most of the people they talked to where the incident happened are uncooperative. - Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP