By NITZ ARANCON
and LITO RULONA
Correspondent
A POLICEMAN assigned in Gingoog City was killed while his brother, another officer, was wounded as they tried to escape after allegedly robbing a store in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, on Sunday afternoon. The case has raised serious concerns on the trustworthiness of law enforcers.
Police suspected that the siblings were also responsible for a robbery staged earlier in Balingasag town.
Police failed to identify who shot the policeman cum alleged robbers but other sources said the suspects were shot by an “in-house security guy.”
Chief Insp. Albert Tare, Tagoloan police chief, identified the slain officer as PO1 Niril Van Tañajura, 25, of the Gingoog city police, and his wounded brother as PO1 Whylder Tañajura, 28, who was receiving training in Damilag, Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon.
SPO4 Richie Raiz said the elder Tañajura is with a police scout ranger who used to be with the Regional Public Safety Unit (RPSU).
The policemen were shot at the public market in Zone 7, Poblacion in Tagoloan town at around 3:20 pm Sunday, shortly after they robbed NSM Mini-Mart.
Tare said the suspects, from Baluarte in Tagoloan, was shot by a “good citizen.”
Both reportedly managed to run outside the establishment with the store’s cash box, and were escaping when they were shot. They hit a “trisikad,” and the younger Tañajura fell off and died.
Tare said the elder Tañajura was treated at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center after a bullet grazed his shoulder. He was then brought to the Tagoloan police station for detention. He is facing robbery, illegal arms and explosives possession charges.
He said the suspects had a grenade, two caliber .38 revolvers and a 9mm pistol.
The remains of the younger Tañajura were brought to the Bollozos Funeral Homes.
Police said barged into the store and robbed its owner, Elvisa Maputis, who was with her workers Patria Maghanoy, Dyna Baldeniza and Michael Mindalano.
Tare said the suspects, who wore military outfits, bonets and helmets, fired their guns inside the store.
Maputis said the policemen, who used a black motorcycle, took P5,870 from the store.
Tare said investigators suspected that the Tañajura brothers were behind the robbery carried out at a motorcycle parts shop in Balingasag town a day earlier. The establishment lost some P20 thousand to robbers.
“Mitukma ang description sa mga suspect nga nagtulis sa Motormate sa Balingasag niadtong Sabado, ug sa tagtulis sa NSM mini-mart dinhi sa Tagoloan. So dako ang posibilidad, nga ma-o ra kining mga tawhana ang responsible sa series of robbery cases sa Cagayan de Oro ug Misamis Oriental,” Tare said.
Tañajura denied that he took part in a series of heists.
“Miuban rako sa iya pero hold-up naman diay to paingon. Wala ko’y nahimo ako na lang nag-lookout sa iya. Wala ko kahibalo nga manulis diay siya,” Tañajura said.
He said his younger brother’s son was in the hospital, supposedly struggling for life, and was just forced to stage the robbery.
Tañajura said he and his brother were shot by at least two civilian. “Duha ka tawo akong nakita nga akig-pinusilay sa amoa.”
Crime scene investigator said the suspects kept a grenade in a bag.
Dr. Christian Caballes of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco), said the elder Tañajura would be subjected to a paraffin test. Initially, he said, at least two bullets were fired inside the store using a 9mm pistol.
Senior Supt. Manuel Sukarno Alvarez, Misamis Oriental police director, said appropriate charges would be filed against the suspect even as he warned that he would not be tolerant of scalawags in uniform.
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