Police officer eyed for spot promotion

MANILA, Philippines - One of the two alleged robbers slain by a lone policeman in Quezon City over the weekend turned out to be a “cop killer” who was believed to be behind the deaths of at least two police officers.

Because of his achievement of neutralizing the suspect, Senior Police Officer 3 Levi Sevilla will be recommended for a spot promotion, according to Chief Superintendent Elmo San Diego, director of the Quezon City Police District.

“SPO3 Sevilla displayed an extraordinary act of bravery and sheer dedication to duty and a promotion to the next higher rank is a fitting recognition of his heroic exploit,” San Diego said in a statement.

Chief Inspector Benjamin Elenzano, deputy head of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, identified one of the slain suspects as Efren Ponce, who was facing multiple cases of robbery and murder in Bulacan and Caloocan.  

Citing information from the Caloocan City police, Elenzano said Ponce was earlier arrested in 2004 in relation to his alleged robbery activities. He reportedly attempted but failed to escape during an inquest proceeding. Following this, Ponce posted bail and was released.

Elenzano said that in August 2008, Senior Police Offi­cer 1 Wilson Reyes survived an ambush attempt believed to have been staged by Ponce and a culprit. Reyes was said to be among the policemen who arrested Ponce back in 2004. The policeman did not survive the second ambush incident last March.

Elenzano also said Ponce was believed to be the suspect behind another ambush incident last September that led to the death of another Caloocan policeman – Police Officer 3 Romel Mariblanca, who was also in the arresting team that earlier nabbed Ponce.

List of would-be victims

“We learned that the suspects had names of other policemen they planned to liquidate before they were finally neutralized by SPO3 Sevilla,” Elenzano said.

Sevilla, of the QCPD Station 3, responded to a robbery incident involving three armed suspects who had victimized an Indian national on Saturday afternoon in Barangay Tandang Sora.

QCPD Station 3 commander Superintendent Alex Sintin said that after receiving a call about the robbery incident, a village councilman of Barangay Tandang Sora deployed watchmen to locate the three suspects on board three motorcycles, one of which reportedly had a flat tire.

With the license plate of the said vehicle in mind, village watchmen spotted the motorcycle at one of the vulcanizing shops in the area. However, one of the watchmen approached the suspects, who upon sensing apprehension by authorities, opened fire, leading to the watchman’s death.

Sevilla, who came to the site, single-handedly fought off the three robbers, killing two of them.

Elenzano said the Caloocan City police reported that the suspects were involved in several robbery-holdup incidents involving Indian lenders.