By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following the recent death of Police Officer 2 (PO2) Federico Nicolas, an absent without official leave (AWOL) police officer who was killed after encountering a band of unidentified suspects last weekend, the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed a resolution last Wednesday requesting the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) investigate the murder.
The resolution, penned by City Councilor Caesar Distrito, called the situation “very alarming” and insisted “a thorough investigation must be done in order to identify those who are involved.”
He added, an investigation will also reveal if Nicholas was involved with illegal drugs and if the ambush was a result of that activity.
Last weekend, Nicolas was driving a motorcycle, with PO1 Wilmer Bansag and his 17-year-old son as passengers, when they encountered seven to eight suspects wearing bonnets near the Education and Training Center School-1 (ETCS-1).
According to authorities, the suspects fired multiple times and fled in two getaway vehicles.
Nicolas was declared dead on arrival at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), while Bansag and his son sought treatment at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center.
Recovered from the crime scene were 30 bullet casings of different caliber of firearms, among them were 9mm, 5.57 armalite, and .45 caliber./WDJ