Cop’s pursuit ends in tragedy

A Quezon City policeman was killed by a speeding van while crossing Commonwealth Avenue as he was chasing a suspected holdup man at dawn yesterday.

Declared dead on arrival at the East Avenue Medical Center as a result of a broken skull was Senior Police Officer 4 Isais Castillo, 52, detailed at the Central Investigation Unit (CIU) of the Central Police District.

Case investigator SPO1 Marcelo Sabado said the incident took place at around 1:10 a.m. Castillo was chasing a suspected holdup man when the latter crossed Commonwealth Avenue. As he continued the chase, a speeding L-300 van suddenly hit him.

Castillo was thrown back by the impact. His head hit the concrete road.

Witnesses said that instead of stopping and attending to the victim, the driver of the van sped off toward Fairview.

Castillo’s remains are at the CIU of Camp Karingal in Quezon City.

In Mandaluyong City, a rookie policeman foiled an attempted robbery inside an airconditioned bus yesterday morning by shooting one of the robbers.

Police Officer 1 Ronald Alla of the Pasay City police managed to disable suspect Reynaldo Almenes who suffered a bullet wound in the abdomen and was rushed to the Dr. Potenciano Hospital.

His cohort, however, was able to escape.

Investigation showed that Almenes and his companion announced the heist at around 9:40 a.m. inside an RRCG bus, which was traveling on EDSA in Mandaluyong City. The suspects were armed with bladed weapons.

The robbers went on to take the wallet of passenger Vergel de Romia, 20, containing P4,700 and his cellular phone. They spared the other passengers.

While the suspects were divesting De Romia of his valuables, Alla waited for a chance to draw his caliber .45 service firearm.

The policeman saw an opportunity when the other passengers became hysterical, diverting the attention of the two robbers.

Alla drew his gun and ordered the suspects to surrender. The two proceeded to escape prompting the policeman to fire his gun, hitting Almenes. – Jose Rodel Clapano, Sheila Crisostomo, Marvin Sy