Drug links seen in slay of Awol cop in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY — A police officer who had gone on Awol (absent without official leave) was killed, while another police officer and his son were wounded on Saturday in what appeared to be a drug-related attack by still unidentified suspects in the village of 14 here.

The slain police officer was identified as PO1 Federico Nicolas, formerly with the city police office. He had been tagged as big-time drug pusher.

Senior Insp. Armilyn Vargas, spokesperson of the now defunct Negros Island Region, said Nicolas died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Wounded in the attack were PO1 Wilmer Bansag, 46, who is assigned to the Negros Occidental police provincial office, and his 17-year-old son, April Ken. Both were being treated of gunshot wounds at Bacolod Adventist Medical Center.

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

Recovered from the crime scene were shells from bullets for M-16 rifles and 9-mm and .45 cal. pistols.

Road ambush

Initial police reports said Nicolas was driving a gray Mitsubishi Adventure, with Bansag and his son as passengers, when they were shot by armed men who were on board a white Toyota Vios in front of an elementary school on Rosario-Yulo Street in Barangay 14.

Senior Supt. Jack Wanky, acting Bacolod police director, said Nicolas was on the list of high value targets in the antidrug campaign of the Duterte administration.

“Shabu” (crystal meth) and drug paraphernalia were found on Nicolas as he was being brought to a hospital, according to Wanky.

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

Police said Nicolas might have been ordered killed by colleagues in the drug trade as a result of infighting in the policeman’s drug group.

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