A police precinct chief and three civilians died, while two were injured in shooting and stabbing incidents in the cities of Bago, Himamaylan and La Carlota, Negros Occidental, during the weekend.

SPO1 Alan Retolosa, police COMPAC chief stationed in Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City , was shot by a rape suspect Friday and died on Saturday at the Our Lady Mercy Hospital due to gunshot wounds in the lower part of his abdomen.

Police said Retolosa was shot by Joebert Cabos, 25, who refused to be frisked at the police precinct in Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City , at about 11 p.m. Friday.

Supt. Alex Belonio, Bago police chief, yesterday said Cabos who had a .38 caliber revolver, escaped after the shooting, while his companion, identified as Ronald Begonia, was arrested by PO1 Kenny Gonito.

Police said Retolosa and Gonito conducted a checkpoint in Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City , in response to reports of two suspicious-looking persons transporting a fighting cock on a motorcycle.

The two persons who turned out to be Cabos and Begonia were later seen at a gasoline station in the barangay.

Belonio said Gonito invited them to the police precinct, to check if they have a driver's license and registration papers of their motorcycle, which they failed to produce.

When Cabos was subjected to a bodily search by Retolosa, he resisted, drew and fired his .38 caliber revolver three times, hitting the police officer in his genitals, with the bullet exiting from his intestines, Belonio added.

Civilian Volunteer's Organization member Carmelino Atillaga who came to the rescue of Retolosa, was also shot in the right leg, police said.

Cabos fled immediately.

Recovered from the scene were a deformed slug of a .38 caliber revolver and an empty shell of a .45 caliber pistol.

Police records showed that Cabos was jailed for almost six years at the Bago City Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, allegedly for molesting two sisters in 1998. However, he was later freed when after cases of rape and attempted rape filed against him, were amicably settled, Belonio said.

Three other stabbing and shooting fatalities were Joevannie Mondejar, 31; Eduardo Lasas, 40; and Johnny Candelario, 49.

Mondejar was declared dead on arrival at the Valeriano Gatuslao Memorial Hospital in Himamaylan City he was stabbed during a commotion at a videokee bar in Sitio Calasa, Brgy. Caradio-an, Himamaylan City , police said.

Mondejar and his companions figured in a rumble with another group of persons composed of Aniceto Liboon, Benjie Pancho and Mario Valle.

Liboon was stabbed in the back, while Elmer Mondejar, brother of Joevannie, sustained injuries in the forehead and nose, Police said.

Lasas was stabbed dead allegedly by Michael Valle, Cyril Sebastian and Alex Canencia in Brgy. 3, Bago City on Dec. 6.

Candelario, 49, and a laborer, was also shot dead by a still unidentified person on Saturday in La Carlota City, police also said.

Investigations conducted by the La Carlota City police showed that Candelario and his two companions, Jerry Candelario and Carlo Parcon, were passing in front of the house of Eddie Marfil in Brgy. Cubay, La Carlota City, when a commotion ensued.

Candelario was also hit with a steel pipe before he was shot by an unidentified suspect, allegedly on orders of Marfil, police also said.

Marfil is now detained at the La Carlota City Police Station Jail.*GPB

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