Cop shoots trike driver over fare

An argument over tricycle fare in Valenzuela City Thursday reportedly ended in a police chief inspector shooting the driver and his being stabbed by the latter.

Nelson Carbonnel, 28, of 6 Kaypandan Street, Barangay Canumay, Valenzuela City, is now recuperating at the Valenzuela General Hospital from a gunshot wound in the left thigh, police said.

At around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Chief Inspector Jacinto Suminig, 54, chief of the Valenzuela City police Sub-station 7, boarded Carbonel’s tricycle along San Diego Street in Barangay Canumay and told Carbonnel to bring him to Barangay Lingunan.

The police officer, however, got irritated at Carbonnel when the latter allegedly asked for an alleged exorbitant fare, police said.

Upon reaching Barangay Lingunan, Suminig alighted from the victim’s tricycle and without a word allegedly punched Carbonnel in the head.

With a bladed weapon, Carbonnel retaliated and stabbed Suminig in the body. Wounded, Suminig drew his service firearm and Carbonnel ran for cover. The policeman reportedly kept firing at Carbonel until he was hit in the thigh, police said.

Suminig, on the other hand, told police probers that it was Carbonnel who attacked him first with a bladed weapon forcing him to shoot him.

Suminig said that he did not take Carbonnel’s tricycle when the victim asked P60 as fare and rode in another tricycle with two other passengers. The correct fare was only P15, police said.

Suminig said, Carbonnel got irked and followed the vehicle he was on and upon reaching T. Santiago street he allegedly blocked their path and attacked him with a bladed weapon.

Meanwhile, a 45-year-old father, allegedly shut out from his daughter’s graduation by relatives, decided to end his pain by hanging himself in his house on Good Friday in Caloocan City.

Almanzon Tengson, of Lot 27, Phase 3F1, Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City was found dead, hanging by a nylon cord tied to the bedroom ceiling by his younger brother, Eduardo, police reported.

PO2 Joel Aquino, of the Station Investigation and Intelligence Division (SIID) said the victim felt so aggrieved and insulted when he was prevented by relatives from attending his daughter’s college graduation rites.

It was gathered that it was the victim’s relatives who allegedly spent for the victim’s daughter Vanessa’s schooling. It could not be immediately determined what course and what school Vanessa took and graduated from.

The victim was found dead at around 5 p.m. Police gathered that prior to the discovery of the body, the victim had an altercation with his relatives over Vanessa’s future. — Jerry Botial