A policeman was killed while another cop and a bartender were injured in a shootout incident at the Goldenfield Commercial Complex in Bacolod City at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday.

Police Officer 2 Arnold Cañal, 44, of Regent Pearl Homes in Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod, and assigned at Regional Intelligence Division-6, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds on the way to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, Bacolod police director, said yesterday.

Injured were PO2 Federico Nicolas of Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod, also assigned at the RID, who sustained wounds on both legs, and Samson Suico, 47, who is employed by the Golden Shadow Bar, who was wounded on his left leg, de la Paz also said.

Initial investigation showed that Nicolas was at the Golden Shadow Bar at about 11 p.m. when he saw the group of suspects Ramir Arcenas, “alias Kid Ramir”, Lino Cuadra, “alias Dodoy”, and two unidentified men with firearms tucked in their waistbands.

Nicolas sought help from personnel of Police Station 8 through text but did not get a reply, prompting him to call Cañal, who was at home. When Cañal arrived, one of the bar employees, whose name was not disclosed, introduced the two policemen to the suspects, Supt. Santiago Rapiz, head of the City Police Special Operations Group, said.

Minutes later, the suspects left the bar but before they could get farther, one of them fired a shot outside the bar, prompting Cañal and Nicolas to go out and disarm Arcenas, Rapiz said.

He said Cuadra and the two other suspects drew their firearms and pointed them at Cañal and Nicolas when they saw them disarming Arcenas.

Rapiz added that Cañal fired a shot, hitting Suico, who was standing nearby, on his left leg, while Arcenas was able to wrest Cañal's .45 caliber revolver and used it to shoot him.

A witness claimed that while Cañal was already lying on the floor, Arcenas sat on top of the policeman and shot him repeatedly. Nicolas, however, failed to fire his gun immediately because it malfunctioned.

He was able to fire a shot only as the suspects were leaving on board a white Mitsubishi Adventure and a Grey Isuzu Crosswind, witnesses added.

A white Mitsubishi Adventure was recovered abandoned in a gasoline station at 24 th Street at about 1:30 a.m. yesterday but Rapiz said it had nothing to do with the incident.

Six slugs of .45 caliber and .9 millimeter pistols were recovered from the crime scene, police records showed.

ARMED AND DANGEROUS

A tracking team has been formed by the Bacolod City Police to hunt and arrest the suspects, whom De la Paz described as “armed and dangerous.”

De la Paz said Arcenas has been jailed several years back for allegedly killing a policeman identified as Patrolman First Class Leopoldo Parcon, while Cuadra was apprehended for illegal drugs.

BCPO is now coordinating with the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation for the swift arrest of the suspects, who may still be in the province, de la Paz said.

De la Paz said that the BCPO will assist the family of Cañal with their financial needs, while the Flag will fly half-mast at their office.

SADDENED

Rolando Cañal, elder brother of the slain policeman, said it had been the dream of his younger brother to be a policeman, and follow the footsteps of their deceased father, who was also a policeman.

He said his brother, whom he described as a good man, was dedicated to his job and his family.

Adelita Adeva, civilian employee of BCPO assigned at the radio room where the slain policeman used to be detailed, said she was shocked at what happened.

She said Cañal was a family-centered man and a kind-hearted person.*APN

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