Airport police officer injured in shootout with superiors

AN airport policeman was injured in a shootout with his superiors at past 9 p.m. last Thursday inside their office at the Mactan Cebu International Airport Police Division.

PO2 Winston Ybañez, homicide investigator of the Lapu-Lapu City police, identified the injured airport policeman as 51-year-old Cpl. Esmeraldo Pongasi Binsi, a resident of Babag 2, Lapu-Lapu City.

The two suspects detained at the Lapu-Lapu City precinct were 48-year-old Lt. Pio Alvarez of Nivel Hills in barangay Apas, Cebu City, and 50-year-old Capt. Clarito Alvarez, of Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.

Ybañez said Pio and Clarito, both airport police supervisors, told them that Binsi got angry at them over the disappearance of his personal evaluation report.

He said a heated argument ensued and Binsi allegedly fired his .45 pistol at the two officers.

But the two managed to hide under the table and avoid the gunfire.

Ybañez said Clarito admitted firing his 9mm gun at Binsi, who was hit twice in his neck and back portion of the body.

Ybañez said since Clarito admitted firing his gun, only Pio was subjected to a paraffin test last Friday. Binsi was confined at the Mactan Doctors’ Hospital.

Contacted by phone at the hospital, Binsi claimed that the two men reversed the events of the incident.

Lapu-Lapu City police recovered from the crime scene a .45 pistol with three bullets reportedly used by Binsi, 12 empty shells, one 9mm pistol used by the two men with ammunition. Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan and Norman V. Mendoza