Slain ex-police official turned politician was meeting someone when attacked

Former policeman Ramiro Bausa, who was running for councilor, was killed by suspected New People’s Army rebels in Barangay Cagbacong, Legazpi City on Wednesday afternoon. PHOTO FROM PATROLMAN JASARENO

LEGAZPI CITY – Legazpi City Mayor and concurrent Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) chairman Noel Rosal has requested the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct an in-depth investigation on the killing of former police colonel Ramiro Bausa who was running for councilor of this city in the upcoming May polls.

Rosal, quoting police report, said Bausa was meeting a person when he was attacked in Barangay (village) Cagbacong on Wednesday by armed men believed to be New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

Rosal said initial police investigation has revealed that Bausa’s killing could have been pre-meditated since he did not use his service vehicle and instead rode in another car in going to the remote village known to be an NPA lair.

He asked the police to investigate who the person Bausa was about to meet, adding that could be the “person of interest” who could shed light on the killing.

“Through an in-depth investigation, we could determine the identity of this person and find out the possible motive behind the killing,” Rosal said.

Bausa, 57, was visiting a friend when he was attacked at around 3:20 p.m., police reported. Bausa suffered gunshot wounds on his head and other parts of his body.

Police said that according to Joven Llanto, Bausa’s driver, he was approached by two unidentified persons and ordered to leave the area minutes before the incident.

Bausa was a member of the Philippine National Police Academy Batch ’87 and was assigned as director of the Camarines Sur police in 2014.

In 2010, Bausa’s brother Enrique, former chief of Daraga town police in Albay, was also gunned down while on a campaign trail as a town councilor.

According to Police Lt. Col Aldwyn Gamboa, Legazpi City police chief, in an interview Thursday, they will still hold a case build-up conference with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) regarding the case. So far, no prime suspect has been established.