Cebu cop chief shot dead during drinking spree

CEBU CITY, Philippines–The police chief of Alcoy, Cebu, was shot dead Sunday night allegedly by a barangay councilman during a drinking spree outside the town’s gymnasium where a boxing event was held in connection with the upcoming fiesta.

Inspector Crisanto Abella, 44, a resident of Guadalupe, Cebu City, sustained five gunshot wounds- one in the head, two in his back, one in the armpit and another one in the leg.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Cardinal Rosales Memorial Hospital in neighboring Dalaguete town by Dr. Lorena Gorion, Alcoy Police deputy chief Sp02 Primitivo Carungay said Monday.

The suspect, a former policeman and second-termer councilman of Poblacion Alcoy, was identified as Ciriaco delos Santos, 56. He is the first cousin of Alcoy Mayor Nicomedes delos Santos.

Mayor delos Santos confirmed that prior to the incident, he saw both his cousin and Abella drinking.

The mayor said Abella was just wearing dark pants and sleeveless shirt, so he told SP02 Carungay to bring Abella back to the station because there were many visitors watching the boxing event.

But later, the mayor said, he just got a text message from Carungay telling him that he failed to convince Abella and he was even reprimanded.

While the mayor and the people were watching the 7th pair of the boxing event, the mayor said, he heard at least 5 gunshots.

P02 Wilt Harris Almagro, one of the policemen assigned to secure the boxing event said Abella was inside the gym earlier when the barangay councilman approached and invited the police chief to drink beer outside.

Almagro said they did not expect the shooting incident because Abella and councilor delos Santos were friends and were usually together during important occasions.

Almagro said he and two other policemen- P03 Eduardo Santander and p02 Howard Maynopas- could still see the two together with another man identified as Jose Joy Galo drinking beer some 15 to 20 meters from the open gym.

But at around 11:30 pm., Almagro said they heard gunshots and claimed that when they got out of the gym, they saw councilor delos Santos firing his gun on the police chief.

Almagro said the councilman even took the 9mm gun of Abella and ran to a small hut to hide. He was later convinced to surrender by the mayor and family members who arrived at the scene.

At the police station, councilor delos Santos denied the crime, saying he just ran away when he heard gunfire.

Mayor delos Santos said he was shocked by what happened. But he said the incident should teach a lesson to policemen not to drink during their duty.