Cop shot dead in Toledo City

CEBU CITY – Another police officer was killed in an ambush in early evening on Tuesday in Cebu.

This time the shooting incident happened in Sitio Cabancalan, Barangay Daanlungsod, Toledo City in western Cebu where a gunman shot dead PO2 Melchizedeck Batomalaque, a police officer who was assigned in Mindanao.

Batomalaque, 37, was heading out riding his motorcycle from his house when he was shot several times by an unidentified assailant at past 6 p.m., said SPO1 Roxam Enerio, desk officer of Toledo City Police Station, in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Enerio said that the victim was hit several times in the body and head. The unidentified gunman fled after the attack.

Batomalaque was rushed to the Toledo City Hospital where attending physician, Dr. Abjel Khan Espera, declared him dead on arrival, said Enerio.

Batomalaque was assigned to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Before that he served at the Dalaguete Municipal Police Station.

His death followed the death of two police officers in the previous weeks.

One was ambushed in Alegria town in southern Cebu, while the other one was killed in an alleged shootout with fellow police officers during an alleged buy-bust operation in Mandaue City. /atm