Calatrava cop
gunned down
Death threats, gambling, drug cases
drive investigation
February 23, 2015—Calatrava policeman, who was active in anti-criminality operations, was gunned down on V. Gustilo Street, near the old City Hall building.
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| Lawman, family man. SPO2 Edsel L. Villanueva is widely known for his anti-drug and anti-gambling operations.Photo source: facebook.com |
Motorcycle crime
The unidentified gunman, who was also on a motorcycle, fired two fatal shots to Villanueva’s left side body causing the victim to lose his balance on the motorcycle. Then, as the victim has fallen, the gunman fired a third shot to his chest before speeding away.
San Carlos City Police Office (SCCPO) recovered three fired empty cartridges and two fired bullets of .45 caliber pistol on the crime scene.
According to San Carlos PNP, San Carlos City Hospital physician on-duty Dr. Romeo Agraviador found that one wound did not have an exit point thus one more bullet was left in the victim’s body.
Villanueva was immediately brought to SCCH but was already dead upon arriving at the emergency room.
Based on eye-witness accounts, the suspect was also riding a motorcycle and drove along Villanueva as he fired the first two shots at a range of about two meters. Contrary to initial reports, the suspect was alone and was not riding-in-tandem with an ally.
SCCPO investigators found that Villanueva struggled to defend himself after he fell. He was able to draw his service pistol but because he received fatal shots, he was not able to fire it. His pistol was recovered from the crime scene and it’s safety pin had been released.
Death threats
SCCPO Deputy Police Chief Jansen Tiglao told NewsRecord that after the initial investigations, they now have an identified suspect. The city policemen is now in hot-pursuit operation against the killer of their fellow lawman.
However, Tiglao refused to disclose the motive of the crime. He admitted that investigators are exploring various angles that include his work at the Calatrava Police Station and even his personal life.
What is presently clear is that Villanueva have been receiving death threats for months, a fact which is known both to PInsp. Mark Angelo Junco, present Calatrava PNP Chief, and to his father, Froilan Villanueva, a retired Calatrava police chief himself.
Accomplished team leader
In a phone interview with NewsRecord, Junco said that before he was assigned as Villanueva’s chief, the victim had been receiving death threats in connection to a drug-related murder case he filed.
Junco added that Villanueva is Calatrava PNP’s main team leader in most of its anti-crime operations that included apprehending suspects on the ‘most wanted persons’ list, illegal drugs campaign, illegal logging, and illegal gambling. Most of the police office’s accomplishment in 2014 were led by Villanueva.
However, the Calatrava police chief refused to pinpoint which of those cases is directly linked to the police officer’s murder.
Although, Junco and Villanueva’s other colleagues in the Calatrava station did not submit their affidavits to SCCPO, Junco maintained that they are in close coordination for the investigation of the case. Some elements of Calatrava PNP are now with San Carlos policemen in the hot-pursuit operation against the suspect.
‘Nothing to worry’
Meanwhile, when asked if San Carlos residents should now be wary of rising crimes in the city, Tiglao said that this murder case committed on the street on an early evening is just an isolated case and that SCCPO is still doing its best to keep the community safe.
“Actually, ginagawa naming buong effort naming. Lahat ng patrol nasa labas,” said Tiglao. He added that checkpoints are active on the highways and in fact it was the immediate dispatch of a checkpoint that led to an early progress of the investigation.
On the Calatrava side, Junco assured that Villanueva’s loss would not mean a break from police operations against crime. If anything, that their comrade was gunned down has ‘encouraged’ them to continue, even intensify their anti-crime effort.
Provincial phenomenon
SPO2 Villanueva is the third cop in Negros Occidental who was killed this year. The other two cases are positively drug-related.
Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon has recently spoken of intensifying the campaign against illegal drugs after the deaths of Police Officer 2 Jan Gallenero Jr. of La Carlota City Police Office, who was allegedly shot by his colleagues, PO1 Jackie Aizpuro and Randy Gelboria; civilian Randy Coray and five other unidentified suspects on January 27. He was followed by Senior Police Officer 4 Roger Cañete of Silay City Police Office who was allegedly killed by PO2 Reynaldo Bernil and civilian asset Carlo Riosora on February 18.
Marañon is apparently very concerned on these cases that he ordered Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), to conduct drug tests randomly among policemen in the province.
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