Pangasinan town police chief probed over shootout

LAOAC, Pangasinan, Philippines – This town’s police chief has been relieved from his post to allow an impartial investigation into the killing of his two close relatives and the wounding of three others in a shootout with policemen last Sunday. 

Last Monday, Senior Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte, Pangasinan police director, issued the administrative order relieving Senior Inspector Lodovico Eleazar Jr. from his post as Laoac police chief and designating Senior Inspector Bonifacio Gannaban as officer-in-charge. 

This, after the Region 1 police headed by Chief Superintendent Franklin Jesus Bucayu created Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Eleazar” to investigate the gunslaying of former municipal councilor Rodrigo Eleazar Sr., 62, and his son Gener, 34, in Barangay Lebueg this town last Sunday afternoon. 

Bucayu said the provincial officer of the Criminal Investigation Task Group in Pangasinan will head SITG Eleazar.

According to a report reaching the regional police headquarters, Laoac policemen led by Senior Inspector Eleazar and joined by barangay officials accosted the Eleazars for allegedly firing a gun, but father and son resisted, leading to a three-minute firefight that left them dead on the spot.

Wounded in the shootout were PO3 Erwin Lopez, barangay chairman Edgar Mensigos Eleazar, and barangay councilman Rogelio Eleazar Lopez.

Police recovered at the scene a caliber .45 Glock pistol with two magazines and bullets, caliber .45 spent shells, and M-16 and M-14 cartridges, which were turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office for ballistic examination. 

Laoac police officers involved in the shootout will also be investigated and their firearms turned over to SITG Eleazar.

Eleazar’s wife said she will file charges against the responding policemen.

Senior Inspector Eleazar said he is ready to face any charges, adding that he did only what he was supposed to do as a peace officer by responding to a report on indiscriminate firing.

The Eleazars involved in the case are relatives. The slain Eleazars had been complained of several times for their alleged indiscriminate firing, the relieved police chief said.