2 ex-cops involved in crime killed by policemen in Batangas operations

SAN PEDRO CITY-Two former policemen tied to criminal activities were killed in separate police operations in Batangas province on Tuesday, reports said Wednesday.

In Batangas City, Francisco Bacayo, who held the rank of police officer 1 when he left the service, was killed in an antidrug operation at 10:35 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Bolbok.

Supt. Nerwin Ricohermoso, chief of the Batangas police community relations, said Bacayo drew out a gun during the bust conducted by the city police’s drug enforcement unit, prompting authorities to shoot back.

Policemen initially recovered five sachets of suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) from Bacayo as they took him to the Batangas Medical Center, where he later died.

Ricohermoso said seven more sachets of suspected shabu were found in Bacayo’s pants pockets while a nurse was cleaning his body.

Ricohermoso said police had yet to check Bacayo’s assignment before he was dismissed, but said he had long been on Awol (absence without official leave).

Earlier on Tuesday, another former police officer, Rolando Rodriguez Jr., was killed after he resisted arrest and exchanged gunfire with policemen in Barangay Busobuso in Laurel town.

Ricohermoso could not immediately confirm Rodriguez’s rank but said he was dismissed from the service several years ago.

According to a police report, intelligence officers were about to serve an arrest warrant to Rodriguez, who faced two counts of murder and frustrated murder, at 2:45 p.m. hen he engaged the officers in a gunfight.

Ricohermoso said Rodriguez was connected to a criminal gang operating in Batangas and Tagaytay City in Cavite province. RJLA