(Story updated to correct that Bembo Caspe is wounded and not killed in the incident – Inquirer Mindanao)
TAGUM CITY – A policeman is facing charges for wounding a tricycle driver and his brother following a traffic altercation in this city on Tuesday night.
Senior Supt. Marcial Magistrado IV, Davao del Norte police chief, said charges of frustrated homicide were being prepared against Police Officer 3 Roque Separa following the shooting of Caspe siblings – tricycle driver Bembo, 41; and Spartacus, 30, a laborer.
Initial investigation revealed the incident stemmed from an apparent traffic dispute between the policeman and the tricycle driver when
Separa, who was traveling along the Tagum-Davao highway road in Barangay (Village) Visayan Village on his motorcycle, tried to overtake the pedicab driven by the elder Caspe around 6:30 p.m.
“The policeman called the attention of the driver after the latter suddenly turned left without proper signal,” Magistrado told Inquirer
by mobile phone, adding Separa even identified himself as a law enforcer.
He said the policeman, who was assigned with the Davao del Norte provincial public safety company (DNPPSC) in Visayan Village, had a heated argument with the driver that led to a brawl outside the gates of a subdivision where the Caspes live.
Caspe’s younger brother also joined the fracas.
At one point during the brawl, the siblings took turns in hitting the policeman with concrete blocks, prompting Separa to draw his service
pistol and shoot the victims, Magistrado said.
Spartacus was hit in the body while Bembo sustained a critical gunshot wound in the head.
Magistrado earlier said the tricycle driver had died early on Wednesday but later corrected himself. He said the siblings were wounded and were still being treated at the hospital.
Footage from a close-circuit television camera (CCTV) from a nearby Internet café caught the two victims beating up the policeman while
several people attempted to intervene.
As the police officer lay on the ground, the victims could be seen grabbing concrete blocks and hitting the former several times, until the brothers were apparently shot.
While the shooting appeared to be in self-defense, Magistrado said charges would be filed against the officer, who has surrendered to
responding policemen after the incident.