Policeman, habal-habal driver hurt in shooting

CEBU, Philippines - A policeman and a driver of a motorcycle-for-hire were injured after an unidentified person shot them Wednesday evening in Barangay Pooc, Santa Fe.

Senior Police Officer 3 Julian Pasquite, resident of M.Y. Station, Bantayan, suffered two gunshot wounds on the left chest and left thigh while Reynaldo Giducos, 30, of Barangay Maricaban, Santa Fe sustained a single gunshot wound on his left foot when the unidentified gunman fired at them.

The unidentified criminal asked Giducos to bring him to Barangay Balidbid while the latter was waiting for passengers at the Santa Fe Public Market last Wednesday evening.

 On their way to Balidbid, a remote barangay in Santa Fe, Giducos noticed another motorcycle tailing them. He also finds his passenger suspicious prompting him to look for somebody to ask for help from.

Upon reaching the provincial road in Barangay Pooc, Giducos saw Pasquite near a KTV Bar prompting him to stop and reported what he noticed to the police. However, when the police officer approached the suspect and introduced himself he was shot in the chest.

Pasquite ran inside the KTV Bar to seek cover but he was again shot at hitting him on the left thigh. Giducos also tried to run but he was shot as well hitting his left foot.

The victims were immediately rushed to the Bantayan District Hospital but Pasquite was later transferred to Cebu City. The suspect fled before the responding policemen from Santa Fe Police Station arrived.

Police Regional Office 7 director Ager Ontog ordered an investigation into the incident and find out why Pasquite was in Santa Fe when he was assigned in Bantayan.

Initial investigation however shows that Pasquite went to Santa Fe to work on the affidavit of the complainant of a case he was handling. Pasquite was also catching for the first trip of the ferry to San Remegio at 5:00 a.m.

Base on the initial investigation, Pasquite who was assigned in Bantayan Police Station went to work on the affidavit of the complainant who was a resident of Sta. Fe and at the same time, he was waiting for the first trip of ferry boat at 5:00 in the morning bound for Hagnaya, San Remegio.

The KTV bar owner also said that Pasquite did not go there to drink but to barrow money.

Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) chief Rubin Cuizon said that Pasquite will receive cash assistance if proven that he was injured in line of duty. (FREEMAN)