Officer ‘kills’ bank employee in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines — A bank employee was killed while his 16-year-old nephew was wounded after they were shot by a policeman near a convenience store on Saturday night.

Joenel Ealdama, 49, and an employee of the Development Bank of the Philippines, was hit in the left side of his body with the bullet hitting his heart.

Karl Ealdama of barangay Camingawan was shot in the left hand but the bullet hit his stomach, said Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, Bacolod police director.

PO3 Mario Talleon, a member of the Negros Occidental Public Safety Company, was detained at the Bacolod Police Precinct 4. He denied he shot the victims at the convenience store near the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office on Burgos Extension.

Joenel, his brother Joel and Karl were talking outside the 4Ps convenience store when Talleon came out and told them to keep quiet, police investigation showed.

An altercation ensued.

Witnesses said Talleon then shot Karl using a 9mm pistol. Joenel ran to seek help but was shot too./INQUIRER