Alcoy Town Police Chief Killed

Alcoy town police chief was shot and killed by a retired policeman while having a drinking session outside a sports complex in Barangay Poblacion on Sunday.

Inspector Crisanto Abella sustained multiple bullet wounds and expired past midnight on Sunday after he was allegedly shot by a certain Ciriaco De Los Santos, now a barangay councilman of Barangay Poblacion, Alcoy.

Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, had already sent a team of his investigators to look into the shooting incident that claimed the life of Inspector Abella.

The incident took place outside the sports complex where a boxing event was held as part of the activities in anticipation of the town’s fiesta.

Alcoy Town Mayor Nick De Los Santos said the suspect, a cousin of him, was having a drinking session with the police chief at 9 pm. He said he asked a policeman to bring the police official to their police station.

Suspect Ciriaco de Los Santos was apprehended by responding police officers after the shooting incident. (Photo courtesy of Dario Gil)

“Akong giawhag ang deputy police chief nga ipadala ngadto sa police station si Inspector Abella kay law-ay kaayo tan-awon nga nag-inom kini ug mora’g hubog na,” apan wala man madala,” De los Santos said.

While the mayor and his guests witnessed the boxing fight, they heard successive shots outside of the sports complex. The mayor said after he heard the shots, he observed that the people scampered to different directions.

Witnesses said after the suspect shot the police chief, he took Abella’s 9 mm pistol and ran towards a nearby shanty.

The responding policemen chased him, but they were also shot, although nobody was hit.

The mayor and the family of the suspect convinced the latter to surrender with his 45 caliber 9mm pistol. The handgun of the slain policeman was later recovered by the police at the nearby shanty where the suspect allegedly hid after the incident.

Mayor De Los Santos described Inspector Abella as a good police official that is why he asked Gillamac to retain him as his police chief even if he was already assigned in Alcoy for more than two years.

“Maayo ug buotan kaayo nga polis si Inspector Abella, snappy gani kaayo mosaludo ug dili gani molingkod kon dili nimo palingkuron, apan ang usa lang nga isyu nga moinom g’yud siya’g ilimnong makahubog,” the mayor said.

Gillamac said his investigators are now gathering the necessary documents and evidences to support the filing of murder charges against the barangay councilman who is now detained at the Alcoy Police Station.