Task force formed to probe killing of anti-drugs QC police official

MANILA, Philippines — An investigative team has been formed to go after the killers of a ranking Northern Police District (NPD) official who was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men while driving home to Quezon City on Friday night.

Chief Supt. Richard Albano, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, announced on Monday the creation of Special Task Group Ricalde, which would be in charge of probing the killing of Chief Insp. Romeo Ricalde Jr.

The task group will be headed by Senior Supt. Procopio Lipana, QCPD deputy director for operations. The other members will come from the NPD and Manila Police District where Ricalde also served as anti-narcotics chief.

Ricalde was the head of the NPD’s special operations and anti-narcotics team. He was on his way home after attending the turnover rites for the outgoing NPD director, Chief Supt. Joel Alvarez, when he was shot dead in Barangay Pansol, Quezon City.

The task force was initially looking at four possible motives behind the NPD official’s killing.

“His death is most likely work-related,” Albano told reporters. “These are cases, mostly drug-related, which he handled in the NPD this year,” he added without elaborating.

He noted that 28 casings from a 5.56 rifle were found at the crime scene, indicating that whoever killed Ricalde was “extremely angry.”

Albano said the victim’s wife also told them that Ricalde had received death threats and had even mentioned the names of some police officials who might be able to shed light on the ambush.