Shootout Mars celebration:  Cop kills cop on Christmas eve

It was the night before Christmas, but all wasn’t quiet in barangay Tisa, Cebu City as a shootout between two policemen left one dead.

The fatality was identified as PO1 Calvin Dinampo, 32, a resident of Samboan, Cebu and assigned at the beat patrol section of the Talisay City Police Station.

He sustained five gunshot wounds in his chest, pelvic area and upper portion of his left leg.

Dinampo, who became a policeman in 2003, was shot dead by PO1 Mark Anthony Prieto Manlosa, 31, who is assigned with the Tourist Assistance Center of the Cebu City Police Office.

Manlosa, who became a policeman in 2002 immediately yielded to the Homicide Division of the CCPO after the incident.

Manlosa related that he was on board a motorcycle with his friend on their way home when he saw a man in civilian clothes with a pistol at Silver Gold Street in Riva Ridge subdivision, barangay Tisa.

Manlosa asked the man if he was a policeman, but instead of answering the question, Dinampo grabbed a firecracker vendor and held him hostage.

The hostage, who was identified as Allan Añana, was used by Dinampo as human shield as he trained his gun on Manlosa.

“Pagpangutana nako niya kalit man dayon iyang gi-hostage ang tawo unya mikuot dayon sa iyang pusil. Maayo nalang gani kay wala makabuto. So mao nga mibalos pud ko og pabuto sa iyaha,” Manlosa told reporters.

Añana, who is bigger than Dinampo, was luckily able to free himself giving Manlosa a clear shot. 

Manlosa fired six times using a .45 caliber pistol hitting Dinampo on various parts of his body.

“Ako gyud ang mihimo sa first shot. Wala gyud nako na-confirm kung polis ba gyud siya kay diritso man gud dayon siyang mikuot sa iyang pistola, unya nang-hostage dayon,” Manlosa said.

A stray bullet hit one-year-old Nicole Apit on her right thumb and ring finger and she was brought to the Cebu City Medical Center.

Dinampo and Manlosa were off-duty at that time of the incident.

A witness said that Dinampo appeared drunk at the time of the shooting incident. He was reportedly having drinks with other policemen in one of the houses in the area, but went out on the street alone.

Dinampo was first brought to the Cebu Miller Hospital, but was transferred to Cebu Doctor’s University Hospital where he died at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, five hours after the incident.

His body was brought to Saint Francis Funeral Homes in Bulacao, Talisay City.

Police inspector Mario Monilar, chief of the homicide division of CCPO, said that Manlosa is now under camp restriction at the CCPO.

Monilar said his office will be filing a homicide case against Manlosa.

Separately, Talisay City police chief, Supt. Romeo Perigo did not give any comment on the incident.

Perigo told The Freeman yesterday morning that the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Branch (CIIB) and the Homicide Section are still conducting an investigation.

Perigo however asked that a fair investigation on the incident be conducted.

Police Senior Supt. Ronald Roderos, director of Police Regional Office-Central Visayas, have ordered that an autopsy be conducted. — with Brenda D. Batuto/NLQ