[wpgmappity id=”532″]
CAMP VICENTE LIM—A retired personnel of the Philippine Army was shot dead by a policeman over a traffic argument in Lemery, Batangas, Monday afternoon.
But according to Chief Inspector Ricardo Dalmacia of the Lemery police, it was retired master sergeant Genaro Mercado who first fired his gun, prompting Police Officer 2 Rodolfo de Villa to shoot back.
De Villa is assigned in the adjacent town of Calaca but is a resident of Lemery town.
According to Dalmacia, the two argued over road traffic as they were in front of a cockpit arena in Barangay Maguihan around 3:30 p.m. De Villa, in his statement to Lemery police, said he tried to pacify Mercado when he saw that the latter carried a gun. Mercado was driving an SUV, while de Villa was aboard his Nissan Urvan.
“There were witnesses who said they saw Mercado fired his gun first,” Dalmacia said.
He, however, could not say if de Villa was on duty at the time of the shooting incident.
Mercado died on the spot after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest, while de Villa sustained gunshot wounds to the chest and hand. The policeman was brought to the Our Lady of Caysasay Medical Center in Lemery for treatment.