By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
POLICE used a narrative with striking similarities to the December 2019 killing of a cannibal from Talisayan town to justify Friday’s shooting deaths of two suspects in the Monday night shootout that resulted in an officer’s death in Libertad, Misamis Oriental.
In the December 2019 killing of 21-year-old Lloyd Bagtong, police claimed they were forced to shoot and kill the suspect after he allegedly grabbed an officer’s 9mm pistol and fired a shot along the highway in Punta Gorda, Jasaan town. Police shot Bagtong at least thrice to the chest.
According to the police who was escorting Bagtong back to Talisayan town from the prosecutor’s office in Cagayan de Oro, they stopped because of a flat tire and the suspect asked to be allowed to urinate. Police claimed Bagtong grabbed the gun after a police officer loosened his handcuffs.
Col. Robert Roy Bahian, police director for Misamis Oriental, gave a narrative with striking similarities to explain why two arrested suspects in last week’s Libertad shootout were killed on the road in Barangay Sinai, Laguindingan town, past noontime Friday.
Another suspect, identified only a “Bulaw,” was shot and killed in a village in Libertad town on Friday morning.
One of the two suspects killed in Laguindingan was Richardson Perez, the first suspect arrested following the Monday shootout. Perez’s leg was fractured after he jumped off a bridge in Libertad while trying to escape shortly after the shootout that killed a police officer and one of Perez’s companions. The other slain suspect was identified only as “Mikee” — he was arrested in Libertad on Wednesday.
According to Bahian, Perez and Mikee were being brought to the Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail in Cagayan de Oro by seven officers after they were charged before the prosecutor’s office. Bahian said the police officers were forced to stop because their vehicle stalled at around 12:30 pm Friday.
He said the two suspects were seated at the back together with five officers.
Col. Bahian claimed, “Nada-otan ang sakyanan nga ilang gisakyan ug nananghid ni sila sa ilang police escort nga mangihi. Mao tong ang ilang pusas gibalhin sa police escort sa ilang atobangan gikan sa likod, pero nangilog man kini sila og armas.”
He said the two suspects fired at the officers, forcing the law enforcers to shoot back.
“Gani man, na may buslot sa salog sa sakyanan nga ilang gisakyan kay nakapaboto man sila,” Bahian said.
He added: “Nagto-o ko nga ila nang giplano nga mangilog sa armas while on the way from Libertad to the Misamis Oriental jail.”
Like Bagtong, the man accused of skinning and feasting on a woman in Talisayan late last year, Perez and Mikee were also brought to a hospital where they were declared dead on arrival. Both were riddled with bullets.
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