4 Negros Occidental cops face dismissal

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Four policemen assigned to the Negros Occidental Provincial Public Safety Company are now facing dismissal from service for allegedly shooting to death a father, and injuring his son in this city last Saturday.

Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, director of the Police Regional Office-6, ordered last Monday the immediate conduct of summary dismissal proceedings against the four suspects, PO2 Mauro Taleon, who was the alleged gunman, PO2 Eric Mongcal, and PO1s Gary Sarap and Adrian Decendario.

The four have been implicated in the fatal shooting of Jonel Ealdama, 49, and wounding his 16-year-old son Mark at the Petron gas station Saturday night, a few meters away from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO).

Ealdama succumbed to a gunshot wound, while Mark is still undergoing treatment in a hospital.

The following day, Sr. Supt. Allan Guisihan, NOPPO director, ordered Supt. Armando Tubongbanua, NOPPSC chief, to submit the four policemen for investigation at the Bacolod Police Precint-4 in Barangay Villamonte, including their firearms for ballistic examination.

Taleon was detained at Police Precinct 4 while the three were restricted at the NOPPO headquarters. Homicide charges are now being readied against Taleon.

Querol said he will personally supervise the dismissal proceedings, adding that if evidence would prove that the suspects are guilty of the crime, they will be immediately dismissed from the police service.

Police abuses will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to law, he added. - THE FREEMAN