Awol cop killed, 2 others hurt in Bacolod City ambush

BACOLOD CITY — A policeman who had gone on Absent Without Official Leave (Awol) was killed, while another policeman and his son were wounded on Saturday night when they were ambushed by a group of unidentified armed suspects in Barangay 14 here.

The fatality was identified as PO1 Federico Nicolas, who used to be with the Bacolod City Police Office and was tagged as a big time drug pusher.

Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in Negros Island Region (PRO-18), said Nicolas died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Wounded were PO1 Wilmer Bansag, 46, who is assigned at the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, and his 17-year-old son, April Ken, who were being treated of their gunshot injuries at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center.

Bansag suffered multiple gunshot wounds, while his son was hit in the left leg.

Recovered from the crime scene were assorted spent shells of M16 rifle, caliber 9mm and .45 caliber pistols.

Initial police investigation showed that Nicolas was driving a gray Mitsubishi Adventure with Wilmer and Ken as his passengers when they were fired upon by armed men on board a white Toyota Vios in front of an elementary school at Rosario-Yulo Street in Brgy. 14, Bacolod City.

Senior Supt. Jack Wanky, acting Bacolod police director, said Nicolas was on the list of high value targets who were involved in illegal drugs.

Shabu and drug paraphernalia were recovered from Nicolas at the hospital, Wanky said.

In the last three months, the Bacolod police had recovered about P5 million worth of drugs from several arrested persons who were believed to have obtained their supply from Nicolas, Wanky said.

The police were looking into the angle that Nicolas was killed by his colleagues in the drug trade because intelligence reports showed that there was infighting in the group.

Nicolas was allegedly short on cash to pay his drug suppliers and was planning to sell his vehicle, said Wanky. JE