Cop ambushed

CEBU, Philippines - A policeman assigned to the Boljoon Police Station was shot dead by unidentified persons just a short distance from his house around 12:30 a.m. the other night in Minglanilla town. But shortly before Senior Police Officer 4 Rasul Segismar was ambushed he was still able to send a Valentine’s greetings to his wife telling her that he loved her.

Segismar, of Poblacion Ward 2, was declared dead on arrival at the Minglanilla District Hospital after he was shot several times.

Police Officer 1 Tahir Radiab, desk officer of the Minglanilla Police Station, said the victim was driving his motorcycle on the way home when he was ambushed in a dark stretch of the road. Radiab said that gunmen opened fire on Segismar when they saw him, hitting him in the torso and neck.

Radiab said that the investigators recovered 10 empty shells, a live round and a deformed slug of 9mm cal. pistol at the crime scene.

Radiab added that the killing was well executed and well planned but they could not determine as of press time who did it and the motive behind the killing.

For now the police believe that the killing is either job-related since the victim is a law enforcer or personal as he might have an enemy who has a grudge against him.

The slain policeman’s wife Mary Anne Segismar, 45, said that her husband texted her 11 minutes past midnight yesterday with his Valentine’s greetings.

“HAPPY VALENTINES MOM…I LOVE U…4EVER…GOD BLESS OUR FAMILY,” read the message sent by SPO4 Segismar to his wife.

She said that she was wondering why her husband was no longer replying to her messages anymore so she called his cellphone number but it just kept on ringing.

A few minutes later she was told her husband had been ambushed just nearby.

Segismar’s colleague, PO1 Edwin Belamala of the Boljoon Police, who had been working with the slain for over a year described him as a man of few words but who would help his colleagues any way he can.

“Ok ni siya diri sir, wala ni siya’y kontra diri, naay pagkahilomon dili borara pagkatawo sir. So far sir, gikan ko naabot wala man koy ikasaway, concerned siya sa iyang mga kauban. Motabang gyud ni siya og naa siya’y ikatabang,” Belamala said.

When they heard Segismar was shot dead they were all shocked and could not believe it.

“Nakalitan lang mi sa balita, kay mao lagi to’ng nahitabo, suod niya tanan, di man ni siya hambogero,” he added.

Belamala said that being a policeman it cannot be avoided that in the pursuit of their duty somebody might get mad at them. He added SPO4 Segismar will be missed by his colleagues.

Last October 2014, an off-duty policeman was killed in front of his five-year-old son by unidentified gunmen in barangay Lower Lipata, Minglanilla town. — /BRP (FREEMAN)