MANILA, Philippines – A rookie policeman – one of the topnotchers in the 2005 criminology licensure examinations – was charged Monday with shooting and killing a police officer and wounding his wife following an argument over a minor road accident in Bacoor, Cavite province.

PO1 Alfie Madrid, 26, was charged with murder and frustrated murder at the Bacoor Prosecutor’s Office, according to Supt. Mario Reyes, town police chief.

Reyes said they also filed a case for illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions against the suspect.

The same charges were filed against Hermogenes Gagan, a civilian who was with Madrid at the time of the shooting incident.

A police investigation showed that Madrid, who is assigned to the Regional Special Action Unit of the National Capital Region Police Office, shot Insp. William Pelicano, a policeman assigned in Las Piñas City, during an argument following a vehicular accident on Marcos Alvarez Road in Barangay Molino 3, Bacoor, at around 8 p.m. Friday.

Pelicano, who was accompanied by his wife, Babylyn, was in a passenger jeepney when it was bumped by a Daihatsu multicab driven by Gagan. Seated beside Gagan was Madrid.

The victim, who was wearing a police uniform, alighted from the jeep and talked to Gagan. When the victim and the suspects started arguing, Madrid allegedly shot Pelicano several times, a police report said.

Pelicano’s wife rushed to his aid, but Madrid also shot her in the arm, the report added.

Pelicano was rushed to the Molino Doctors Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Police found two 9 mm Beretta pistols, bullets and magazines for .45 cal. and 9 mm handguns and Gagan’s license to carry firearms in his van. Gagan was arrested by Bacoor police who rushed to the scene, while Madrid was apprehended in a follow-up operation.

According to the records of the Professional Regulation Commission, Madrid ranked seventh among the 1,476 examinees who passed the criminology board tests in May 2005.

Madrid’s superior, NCRPO chief Director Jefferson Soriano, Monday ordered his men to undergo a weekly “troop information and education” to prevent similar incidents from happening.

He also met with RSAU personnel in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, where he told them to strictly “respect the police uniform and rank.”

“Starting today, I will require a strict observance of the chain of command, from Police Officers 1 to the highest position in the command,” Soriano told 300 RSAU agents, considered as the NCRPO’s elite police unit.

In his speech, Soriano said the incident only showed the “grave problem” regarding the lack of respect among PNP members.

“There’s no reason for us to draw our guns and shoot whoever we want to kill, especially someone who is wearing a police uniform,” he said.