Cop found dead in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A 55-year-old police colonel was found dead in his house in Barangay Handumanan in this city yesterday.

Lt. Col. Romeo Vargas, 55, administrative officer of the Bacolod City police, was found bloodied by his daughter in his room at past 8 a.m.

The daughter told probers that she last saw her father at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, when both of them went to their respective rooms to sleep.

She said she was alarmed when she woke up seeing her father’s motorcycle still parked near the house.

The Negros Island Region (NIR) police said a thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Vargas.

“Lt. Col. Vargas dedicated years of service to the Philippine National Police with commitment and professionalism, and his passing is deeply felt within the police organization and the community he served,” the NIR police said in a statement.

Authorities appealed to the public to refrain from spreading unverified information or speculation regarding the incident.

Before serving the Bacolod City police, Vargas was chief of the Iloilo City police Mobile Force Company and the Himamaylan City police. He was set to retire this October.