Suspect resists arrest, shoots cop

A police investigator was critically wounded after he was shot in the face by a man he was trying to apprehend Friday night in Caloocan City.

PO3 Joselito Balagtas, 36, assigned at the Sub-Station 2 intelligence and investigation branch (SIIB) of the Caloocan City police, suffered a gunshot wound in the left side of his face.

As of presstime yesterday, Balagtas was still fighting for his life at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Manila Central University (MCU) Hospital.

According to station investigation branch (SIB) chief Inspector Romeo Onte, Balagtas happened to pass by the railroad tracks on Don Antonio street, Barangay 19, 7th Avenue, at around 11 p.m., when he noticed a suspicious looking bystander.

Balagtas reportedly confronted the unidentified man and tried to frisk him, but the suspect protested.

"Balagtas was trying to check for weapons on the guy, but he objected and instead shot our cop," Onte said.

Onte said that the suspect, before fleeing, divested the wounded policeman of his wallet, his service firearm and cellular phone.

Concerned individuals rushed Balagtas to the MCU Hospital. Follow-up operations conducted by Onte’s men for the possible identification and arrest of the suspect proved futile.

Meanwhile, in Navotas, a fishing boat captain was killed after he met a freak accident last Friday.

Edgar Arella, 45, native of Gubat, Sorsogon, captain of F/B Antipolo, was sailing off the coast of Bataan when his vessel conked out at around 9 a.m.

Arella, with his two companions, Nestor Diologo and Benjamin Coral, sought the help of a passing fishing vessel based in Navotas.

But while Arella’s boat was being towed toward the shore of Navotas, the wooden post where the towing rope was tied, suddenly collapsed, pinning the boat captain.