PARACELIS, Mountain Province October 25 – A 58-year old retired policeman died after he was shot to death by a gun-wielding suspect along the Paracelis-Alfonso Lista road, particularly at Botigue, here, Sunday afternoon.
Police authorities identified the fatality as Alfredo Vuelta Bitao, 58, married, retired policeman, and a resident of Bananao, Paracelis, Mountain Province while the suspect was named as a certain Jerry Pugao, of legal age, native of Pangul, Tanudan, Kalinga, and presently residing at Butigue, Paracelis, Mountain Province.
Initial police investigation showed the victim and his companions were drying corn kernel along the side of the road when the suspect, who was driving a motorcycle with his son as back rider, accidentally bumped a sack of corn along the road that caused him to fall on the ground.
The suspect allegedly stood up and confronted the victim until he suddenly pulled out his firearm and fired at the retired policeman several times hitting him on the different parts of his body.
The victim was rushed to the Paracelis District Hospital for medical treatment but he was declared dead on arrival due to three gunshot wounds on his body.
The suspect fled towards Kalinga and is now the subject of a manhunt operation by the operating troops from the Paracelis Municipal Police Station.
Responding police operatives and elements of the Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO) team recovered from the crime scene three spent shells and a deformed slug of a calibre .45 pistol which was used by the suspect in the perpetration of the crime.
By Dexter A. See