An elusive fugitive, who died Monday in shoot-out with a police trooper in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, has a reward of P200,000 out for his arrest, Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, NOPPO officer-in-charge, said yesterday.

Bartolome Ragasa, alias Bartol, who was facing charges for a murder was shot dead allegedly by Police Officer 2 Peter Joseph Palma, who returned fire, when the victim shot at him at the Sipalay Food Park in Negros Occidental, a police report said.

A civilian, identified as Patrocenio Ortiaga, detailed as a guard at the new Sipalay City Hall, also died, police investigations showed.

Lirazan said Palma and two other policemen assigned at the Sipalay City Police Station, were disarmed and placed under restriction, while the incident, including the death of Ortiaga, is being investigated.

Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, who visited the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and Bacolod City Police Office, yesterday said he had been informed that Ragasa has three pending arrest warrants.

Cruz told police chiefs in Negros Occidental to replicate the operations of the Sipalay police against wanted persons, especially those involved in heinous crimes.

A Sipalay police report showed that Palma was then celebrating the birthday of his son, but, responded with SPO1 Glen Galilea and PO2 Donald Tapang, to investigate the gunshots they heard at the Sipalay Food Park.

Although some people in the area told them that there was no problem at all, Palma, who had sensed something wrong, was about to leave, when he was shot, allegedly by Ragasa, who was wearing a bonnet and had a .45 caliber pistol Lirazan said.

Palma, was not hit and returned fire at Ragasa, hitting him in different parts of his body.

Sipalay policemen, who responded to the shooting incident, recovered two .45 caliber pistols with two magazines containing ammunition, and 11 empty shells at the crime scene. * GPB

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