2 cop chiefs killed by jeep

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Laguna—The chiefs of police of Victoria and Calauan towns in Laguna died while another policeman suffered serious injuries after a jeepney rammed into a police vehicle in Calauan, Laguna, early Tuesday.

Senior Supt. Gilbert Cruz, Laguna police director, in a phone interview, said Senior Insp. Alex Marasigan, Victoria police chief, died on the spot, while Chief Insp. Santiago Cuntapay, Calauan police chief, died at around 9 a.m. due to injuries.

Another policeman, PO3 Rodel Reyes Cardel, was hurt.

The vehicle of Rizal municipal police station was in Calauan to pick up the officers who were supposed to join a biking activity in Calamba City.

Marasigan and Cuntapay were loading their bicycles while Cardel was inside the police vehicle that was parked near the Calauan station on Bangyas Highway, when a jeepney hit them around 5 a.m.

The driver of the jeepney, identified as Leonilo Resurreccion, 53, was immediately arrested by other policemen in the scene.

“I’m still trying to find out how [it happened], but it looked like the [jeepney] driver fell asleep. How could he not notice the [police] mobile with its blinkers on? Besides, it was just in front of a police station that also had its blinkers on,” Cruz said.

Cruz said the police officers were supposed to meet in Calamba City and bike their way to the provincial police headquarters in Sta. Cruz town as an activity for the Crime Prevention Month. The activity was called off following the accident.