ILOILO – A 33-year-old man was shot dead by a responding police officer in Barangay Balabag, Pavia, Iloilo, on Friday afternoon, August 1.
The victim was identified as JR Valenzuela, a resident of the said barangay. He sustained a gunshot wound to the right side of his chest and was declared dead on arrival at the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital in Santa Barbara town.
According to Police Major Jose Nemias Pamplona, chief of the Pavia Municipal Police Station, the victim’s mother reported to authorities that her son, armed with a knife, had chased his sister, Jelyn, following a heated argument.
Upon arrival at the scene, police officers were met by Valenzuela, who reportedly ran toward one of them while wielding the knife. The officer, in an act of self-defense, was forced to shoot the suspect.
Leah Valenzuela, the victim’s mother, said she believes her son had used illegal drugs prior to the incident and had not slept for an extended period, which may have triggered his aggressive behavior.
She added that her intention in calling the police was merely to have her son detained so he could calm down and rest in jail. She did not expect the situation to result in his death.
The police were conducting a thorough investigation into the incident as of this writing./PN
