By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
An off-duty police officer responding to a call was killed late Sunday afternoon, while a civilian was wounded, after reportedly being shot at a relocation site in Barangay 21, Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
Police identified the fatality as 43-year-old Senior Police Officer 2 Antonio Broce, a resident of the said area; while the wounded was Edgar Saludes, also from the same area.
Victorias City police chief, Police Chief Inspector Eduardo Corpuz, said Broce responded to a call after the suspect, later identified as Richar Artagame of Barangay Alicante in EB Magalona, was said to be behaving violently and repeatedly fired his .45 caliber pistol, initially wounding Saludes.
When Broce arrived, Artagame reportedly shot the officer in the chest, killing him on the spot.
A follow-up operation later resulted in Artagame’s arrest, who was drunk at the time of the incident.
Saludes, meanwhile, was rushed to a hospital in Bacolod City.
Corpuz said they recovered a Philippine Army “mission order” from Artagame’s possession, along with seven empty .45 caliber shells from the crime scene.
Artagame faces murder and frustrated murder charges and is detained at the Victorias City Police Station.
Following the incident, Police Regional Office-6 director, Police Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, visited Broce’s family at the police station,
Broce was posthumously awarded the Philippine National Police Medal of Heroism.
He also provided financial assistance for Broce’s family./DGB, WDJ