One of two men drew a pistol and shot Inspector Dionisio Francisco Jr. three times in the back in the capital town of Bongao in Tawi-Tawi, the country’s southernmost province, where Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist guerrillas have a presence, provincial Gov. Hadji Sadikul said.
The two men fled on a motorcycle after attacking Francisco, who was in uniform, he said. A house helper who saw the attack was questioned by police.
Sadikul said it was too early to tell if the Abu Sayyaf had a role in the killing, which could also have been carried out by drug syndicates or other crime gangs in the province.
According to Director Vidal Querol, Western Mindanao regional police chief, the suspect had initially misfired and there was an apparent struggle.
"The victim could have probably identified his attacker as they grappled before he was shot," Querol said.
He said one angle being looked into is Francisco’s negotiation efforts for the surrender of high-powered firearms by former rebels and pirates in the area.
Senior Superintendent Sukarno Ikbala, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional police chief, is conducting a thorough investigation of the killing of Francisco, Querol said. — Roel Pareño