Armed men kill cop about to accost them in Cagayan de Oro City

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—A police officer was killed when suspected robbers fired on a group of policemen about to accost them under an overpass here Tuesday night, police said.

Supt. Gerardo Rosales, Cagayan de Oro police chief, said Wednesday that P03 Quirico Portallo was with two other police officers and was driving a police car when the shooting took place Barangay Puerto.

He said Portallo, P03 Minmar Mercado and P01 Rex Darogod were checking on the reported presence of three armed men below the Puerto-Sayre Highway flyover when they were fired upon.

Portallo was hit twice—on the head and on the chest—and died instantly.

He said Darogod managed to fire back but did not hit any of the armed men, who immediately fled.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of one suspect, identified as Christopher Bustillo, who admitted to the police he and his companions were waiting for a ride to Butuan City to rob an establishment there, Rosales said.