BCPO says it solved 3 of 13 shootings in June

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) said three of the 13 shooting incidents here last month were already solved.

The solved cases included the incidents under Police Station 4, 6, and 9, as the suspects were arrested and cases were already filed, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Sherlock Gabana, public information officer of BCPO.

The first to be solved and also considered the first shooting incident reported in June 2022 was under Police Station 9. Two counts of frustrated murder charges were already filed against the arrested suspect who injured Michael Diopeta and Jemar Berja in Barangay Sum-Ag on June 1.

As for the case of Police Station 4 involving a policeman, Gabana said that Richard Jimenez executed an affidavit of non-interest to file a case against Police Master Sergeant Jeff Desucatan. Thus, Desucatan was released from police custody.

The incident happened after Desucatan and Jimenez figured in an altercation when the latter confronted the law enforcer about his relationship with the victim’s former girlfriend during the cop’s visit in Barangay 26 on June 21.

Jorem Sibug, who was allegedly hit by a stray bullet while he was on his way home that night, was supposed to file a case against Desucatan.

However, Gabana said the prosecutor did not grant Sibug’s motion to upgrade the complaint as he failed to provide evidence or witness that the bullet that injured him came from Desucatan’s service firearm.

Despite this, Gabana said that Desucatan is still under investigation for his administrative liability even as he was assigned as desk officer of Police Station 2.

In the case of Police Station 6, Gabana said the family of Christofer Guanzon, who was killed in Barangay 31 on June 19, also executed an affidavit of non-interest in filing a case.

Aside from these three cases, Gabana said that five other cases were also considered cleared. Cleared cases mean the suspects were identified but not arrested, and cases were already filed in court.

These included the killings of Jose Allan Braza, a police asset, in Barangay 35 on June 8; Jose Allan Braza, a caretaker of a private property in Barangay Alangilan on June 5; Adonis Matulac, an alleged drug personality in Barangay Singcang-Airport on June 16; and a 17-year-old boy in Barangay Singcang-Airport on June 22. These cases were reported under Police Stations 1, 5, and 8, respectively.

Gabana said that murder charges were already filed against the identified perpetrators in these incidents.

The case of Kim Ryan Canillo, who survived the gun attack in Barangay Alijis on June 26 under the jurisdiction of Police Station 7, was also considered cleared after frustrated murder charges were already filed against the two perpetrators on a motorcycle.

With these developments, it only shows that police do not neglect these cases and are doing their best to probe and give solutions to the crimes, Gabana said.

For the unsolved cases, Gabana said that these included the killings of Chinese businessman Jeffrey Keng Seng in Barangay 5 on June 14; tricycle driver Jestoni Sabare in Barangay 13 on June 11; a 14-year-old boy in Barangay Vista Alegre on June 23; a certain “Bryan” in Barangay Banago on June 17; and alleged notorious thief Mark Decolongon in Barangay 8 on June 28, which was considered the last shooting incident reported last month.

These incidents were reported to Police Stations 2, 1, 7, 3, and 2, respectively.

Gabana said that perpetrators of these incidents remain unidentified.

Of the 13 shootings, 10 deaths were reported, including the killings of two minors. Only Police Station 10 out of the 10 police stations here has no record of any shooting incident last month.

Police earlier said that most of the shooting incidents were drug-related considering the background of the victims.