A municipal councilor of Panglao proposed to conduct an investigation on the circumstances surrounding the killing of a male suspect during a police operation launched as response to an alleged domestic violence case.
Councilor Rogelin Degoma on Monday raised the issue which involved one Charlie Villones Damiar, 40, who was shot dead by police after he allegedly resisted arrest while the operatives were trying to subdue him as he ran amok.
She urged her colleagues in the Sangguniang Bayan to launch a probe on the incident after several neighbors of the slain suspect expressed their incredulity on the circumstances surrounding the death of Damiar.
According to Degoma, the issue needed resolution as it puts authorities in the town in a bad light.
However, the Panglao police has already noted that the operatives merely defended themselves as the suspect allegedly grabbed hold of a police officer’s pistol and shot at them.
None of the responding policemen were injured while Damiar sustained six gunshot wounds.
On September 3, police officers of the Panglao Police Station were deployed to respond to a distress call made by Damiar’s live-in partner, Florencia Aranaydo, 30.
Damiar allegedly choked and covered Aranaydo’s face with cloth prompting authorities to dispatch eight police officers of the Panglao Tourist Police to the scene.
READ: Man runs amok, chokes girlfriend in Panglao; shot dead by cops
However, Damiar continued to terrorize people in the area wavering his bolo despite authorities’ efforts to pacify him, said PO2 Renante Foculan.
This prompted PO1 Chito Galua to sneak up behind the suspect and try to take the bolo from the suspect leading to a tussle between the two.
Amid the struggle, Damiar used Galua’s gun to shoot at other policemen after the firearm reportedly fell off and was snatched by the suspect.
This led police to shoot back and hit Damiar six times in various parts of his body, said Foculan. (Allen Doydora)