Suspended Lucena cop survives shooting

LUCENA CITY, Philippines — A suspended policeman was shot and injured by two still unidentified men here early Monday, police said.

Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Quezon police chief, said the victim, Police Officer 3 Ruelito Roxas, 49, was manning his store at 3:30 a.m. at the city public market here, when the gunmen, both pretending as buyers, entered the store and shot the policeman with .45 pistols.

After the shooting, the assailants immediately escaped aboard a motorcycle and fled in an unknown direction.

Police investigators found 11 empty shells and five slugs from a .45 pistol at the scene of the crime.

The case investigator, Police Officer 3 Nestor Lumanglas, said the victim sustained three gunshot wounds in the knee, buttock and cheek and was rushed to the Mount Carmel Diocesan General Hospital.

Lumanglas said that as of Monday afternoon, police were still investigating the motive behind the shooting.

The victim was suspended in 2012 after he shot and wounded himself with his service firearm. Investigation showed that Roxas shot his own “amulet,” which he was holding in his left palm.

In January this year, Roxas was also the suspect in a grenade throwing in Barangay (village) Market View. No one was hurt in the grenade explosion.

According to local police sources, Roxas has been working on his papers to be able to return to police service.

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