Cop killed in Caloocan

A Caloocan City policeman was killed while two bystanders, including a 10-year-old boy, were injured after two motorcycle-riding gunmen sprayed the officer’s house with bullets on New Year’s eve in Caloocan City.

Senior Superintendent Napoleon Cuaton, Station Investigation and Detection Management Bureau (SIDMB) chief, identified the lone fatality as PO2 Andrade Adovas, 42, married, assigned at Substation 3 of the Caloocan City police force and a resident of Phase 1, Block 37, Lot 11, Bagong Silang.

Adovas, who sustained four gunshot wounds in the body, expired while being taken to the Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (formerly Tala Leprosarium) and was declared dead on arrival.

Those wounded by stray bullets were identified as Rey Mate, 28, and Rachel Cardenas, 10, of the same neighborhood.

Substation 3 official seeking to establish the motive for the killing altercation by the victim with a group of vendors in the area.

Probers said the victim’s family was allegedly involved in the lending business and uncollected debts could have triggered the earlier heated disagreements that later led to the shooting.

PO2 Julian Chavez, officer on case, said the shooting occurred at around 7:15 p.m. of yesterday as the off-duty cop stood in front of their residence.

Initial investigation showed that some of the vendors were overheard as saying they would "wipe out" the victim’s family.

Probers recovered several empty caliber .45 and .38 shells at the crime scene. Also found abandoned a few hundred meters from the scene was the getaway Honda motorcycle (BK-8910) used by the suspects.

A follow up operation is now underway, authorities said. — Jerry Botial, Pete Laude