TACLOBAN CITY – The police chief of Paranas town in Samar was shot dead early morning of July 22 while conducting surveillance in the city’s downtown area. Tacloban police chief Senior Supt. Domingo Cabillan identified the victim as Sr. Insp. Lucino Lopido, 49, the new chief of police of Paranas town, some 68 kilometers north of this city.
Lopido, who was just assigned to Paranas on June 23, suffered four fatal gunshot wounds in his arms and chest when fired five times by unidentified suspect using a caliber 9 mm pistol.
The incident took place in front of Dino’s Restobar along P. Gomez St., around 12:45 a.m. of July 22. “He was about to leave the place when he saw a guy wearing black jacket with a bull cap. He approached the man and introduced himself as a police. The suspect suddenly fired shots and ran away,” Cabillan told reporters.
Frightened, the victim’s five companions inside the car were not able to fire back, he said. Lopido was immediately brought to the Divine Word Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival by physicians. The suspect left his motorcycle in the crime and is now under the custody of authorities for further investigation. “We will find out who’s the owner of the motorcycle,” Cabillan added.
The Tacloban police chief theorized that the two just happened to met at the scene of the crime. “I think they were here to conduct surveillance, but they did not inform us about their activity,” Cabillan said. The police have yet to establish the motive of Lopido’s killing. Cabillan claimed that the case is isolated and the typhoon-ravaged city is generally peaceful despite of the latest incident. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO).
