Eyewitness in cop’s killing aids probers

CEBU, Philippines - The police yesterday came up with the facial composite of the man who mauled and shot to death PO3 Gerlito Estremos in Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City last Saturday dawn.

Cebu City Police Office Acting Director Mariano Natu-el, Jr. said the suspect’s face sketch was based on the descriptions given by an eyewitness.

Natu-el withheld from giving further details about the man on the sketch, saying they are still pursuing someone who fit the description.

“On the process pa ang atong pagpangita anang tawhana,” said Natu-el.

The male eyewitness, who works as a security guard of an establishment near the crime scene, witnessed what happened from the time the suspect dragged the policeman from his motorcycle, grappled for his service firearm, and shot him in the head.

Natu-el said they are still looking for other witnesses, including a taxi driver who saw what happened at past 2 a.m. last Saturday at corner P. Del Rosario and Junquera Sts.

The CCPO head further said that they will acquire today the footages of the incident which was possibly captured by the security cameras of at least three establishments near the crime scene.

He said the footages will greatly help in capturing the face of the suspect and his cohort, and the plate number of the get-away motorcycle.

Estremos, who was assigned as team leader of the Alert Team of Fuente Police Station, was roving while looking for his stolen helmet when he met the motorcycle-riding assailants. He confronted them for not wearing helmets.

Instead of obeying, one of the suspects alighted and dragged Estremos, struck his face and head with a hard object, and shot him possibly with the victim’s gun, a cal. 45 pistol. The suspects sped off with the policeman’s gun.

Estremos died immediately of a gunshot wound to the head and fractured bones in the nose and back of the head.

His remains lie in a chapel near his house in sitio Sandayong, Barangay Guadalupe. —(FREEMAN)