Drinking binge turns bloody for two cops

POLICEMAN AS SUSPECT. Police Officer 1 Christian Kenneth Senon (center) claims self-defense in shooting a colleague at the 602nd Regional Mobile Force Company in Barangay Guadalupe, Janiuay, Iloilo on Sunday night, July 8, 2018. He is shown here being guarded by two policemen at the Police Regional Office 6 in Camp Delgado, Iloilo City. Senon faces a murder charge for the death of Police Officer 1 Melchor Casipe Jr. RUBY P. SILUBRICO/PN

ILOILO City – A rookie police officer shot a colleague at the 602nd Regional Mobile Force Company’s headquarters in Barangay Guadalupe, Janiuay, Iloilo.

Police Officer 1 Christian Kenneth Senon, 26, faces a murder charge for the death of Police Officer 1 Melchor Casipe Jr., 28, on Sunday night.

Casipe died at the Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital of two gunshot wounds on his back.

The shooting happened past 7 p.m. some four hours after the two returned from a drinking binge with another colleague, Police Officer 1 John Mark Leones, outside their camp.

“Napakalungkot na nawalan tayo ng isang pulis. Ang masakit ay kapwa pulis din ang nakapatay sa kanya,” said Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director, yesterday.

Senon called out Casipe for frequently skipping their morning formation, said Bulalacao.

Casipe said there was no need for him to attend because their commander “recognized” him anyway.

This, however, did not sit well with Senon who said he was dutifully attending their morning formation even if he was more senior than Casipe.

Senon returned to the camp ahead and a few minutes after confronted Casipe again upon the victim’s return. Bursts of gunfire were heard.

After the shooting, Senon was detained at the Janiuay police station. He was also subjected to a drug test.

Senon joined the Philippine National Police in 2014, a year before Casipe was accepted to the police service.

Bulacao said Senon would be charged criminally for murder and administratively for grave misconduct.

“A positive test for illegal drugs would aggravate his case,” said the police director.

This was the second time Senon figured in a shooting. When he was assigned at the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center in 2016 he shot a man during a commotion in the island.

For the Boracay shooting, Senon was suspended for three months only recently (March 6, 2018 to June 6, 2018).

“I would like to assure the public that justice would be given to the family of Casipe,” said Bulalacao.

Senon invoked self-defense. He claimed Casipe tried to shoot him.

But Senon’s company commander, Senior Inspector Charlie Sebastian, said Casipe’s gun was still in his bag.

Sebastian was designated commander of the 602nd Regional Mobile Forces Company only on July 8.

“We have witnesses who could shed light on what really happened. I assumed office on Sunday morning only,” said Sebastian.

Bulalacao said Sebastian would also be investigated for command responsibility.

Organizational discipline is one of Bulalacao’s major thrusts.

The police, he stressed, must continue to enjoy the public’s trust and confidence.

Early this month, Bulalcao launched the “Focused Reformation / Reorientation and Moral Enhancement for Police Officers in Line with Internal Cleansing Efforts” or FORM POLICE – police retraining program.

“My actions shall be anchored on the guidance of the Philippine National Police chief emphasizing internal reforms and organizational discipline. Under my watch, I will see to it that organizational discipline is imposed to have integrity and individual reform,” said Bulalacao./PN

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