Abra police official shot dead after allegedly killing accuser

MANILA, Philippines — The team leader of the Abra provincial police’s explosives and K9 unit was shot dead after he allegedly killed a subordinate who accused him of misconduct, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday.

The alleged shooter was a lieutenant, and the victim was a staff sergeant, PNP public information chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño noted in a press briefing in Camp Crame, without naming the officers involved.

The incident reportedly occurred at the Abra Provincial Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Group (EOD K9) barracks in Bangued on Monday night, where a senior master sergeant and two other officers were also stationed.

“While the police staff sergeant was brushing his teeth, the police lieutenant left his room and shot the police staff sergeant four times,” Tuaño explained.

“When the police senior master sergeant heard the shots, he also left his room and was also fired at by the police lieutenant. However, the police senior master sergeant was not hit and managed to shoot the police lieutenant once,” he added.

Both the police staff sergeant and the police lieutenant were shot in the chest then declared dead on arrival at a nearby medical facility, according to the PNP public information chief.

Meanwhile, the police senior master sergeant surrendered to the authorities that same night.

READ: Ex-Abra mayor shot dead at home by motorcycle-riding suspects

Motive

“The motive was that the victimized police staff sergeant supposedly reported his official to the regional police. He complained that, when the police lieutenant is on patrol or responding to a police call, he is under the influence of alcohol,” Tuaño explained.

He later noted that, apart from the police staff sergeant’s supposed complaint, the police lieutenant had no other derogatory records with the Cordillera Administrative Region police.

Tuaño also said the police have yet to determine whether the police lieutenant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the November 10 shooting incident.

“Because it’s standard operating procedure when there’s a fatality, a homicide case will be filed against the police senior master sergeant who shot the police lieutenant. He will have the opportunity to defend himself to justify his course of action,” he added.

The PNP public information chief noted that the police lieutenant used a caliber .45 firearm to kill the police staff sergeant, but it was not the standard firearm issued to police officers nor was it registered with the Firearms and Explosives Office.

He further noted that the police senior master sergeant used a standard 9mm firearm issued to police officers to fire back at the police lieutenant.

Tuaño reiterated the PNP’s “zero tolerance” policy for police officers who violate laws and the agency’s operational procedures. /das