Police chief in Romblon shot dead, gunman nabbed
CAMP VICENTE LIM — The police chief of San Andres town in Romblon was shot dead at a birthday party by a fellow guest, the province’s police director on Sunday said.
Inspector Noel Aparicio, 45, died on the spot after the suspect, identified as Giron Gan, shot the victim in the head while both were attending a birthday party at around 6 p.m. on Saturday, according to Romblon police director Senior Superintendent Danilo Abadiano.
Gan, a security guard in a private hospital in the town, surrendered to local police authorities at around 6 a.m. on Sunday, Abadiano said.
Abadiano said Aparicio, who was invited to a friend’s birthday party in Barangay (village) Calunacon, San Andres, arrived at around 4:30 p.m. and was later seen chatting with fellow guest Gan.
“The two (Aparicio and Gan) were even seen talking to each other but the suspect left after a few minutes,” Abadiano said in a phone interview.
He said Gan returned after about two hours later and “with no apparent reason,” shot Aparicio at close range.
The suspect immediately escaped after the incident.
“The suspect was apparently drunk, but Aparicio was not. He was just there to eat,” Abadiano said of the police officer, who he also described as hard-working and without any known enemy.
Abadiano said they would be filing murder charges against Gan, who was now detained by the San Andres police, even as investigators were still trying to find out what prompted Gan to shoot Aparicio.
