Laborer killed, cop hurt in street riot

An off-duty police officer, answering the call of duty, was seriously wounded for trying to pacify the participants in a street riot that resulted in the death of a laborer before dawn yesterday in Valenzuela City.

Valenzuela City police chief Senior Superintendent Billy Beltran identified the fatality as Gilbert Fuentes, 41, a resident of Barangay Karuhatan, also in Valenzuela City. He sustained a single stab wound in the left side of the body.

Police Officer 1 Marcie Rosalejos, assigned at Police Community Precinct-8 in Barangay Ugong, is confined at the Chinese General Hospital because of a gaping wound in his left arm, Beltran said.

Beltran said that Rosalejos was walking home from work when he chanced upon a commotion involving several men at around 4 a.m.

At least five drunken men, one identified as Jeffrey Dayrit, also a resident of Barangay Karuhatan, confronted Fuentes and his companion, Kenneth Rafols, while the two were passing by the suspects on San Guillermo Street.

Dayrit, armed with a knife, reportedly attacked Rafols but the latter avoided the assault.

Seeing the commotion, Rosalejos intervened but Dayrit attacked him then turned on Fuentes.

The suspects only stopped the assault and fled when Rosalejos pulled his service pistol and fired a warning shot.

“There was no apparent reason why the suspects attacked the passing men,” Beltran told The STAR.

Beltran assured yesterday Fuentes’ family that his men would soon get all five suspects. – Pete Laude