PNP Highway Patrol Group officer shot dead in Agusan

by Ben Serrano

     May 6, 2011

 

            BUTUAN CITY (PNA) - A police officer member of the PNP-Caraga Highway Patrol Group (HPG)  was shot dead along busy national highway in Purok 3, Barangay Hubang, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur yesterday (Thursday May 5, 2011) afternoon. 


The agency had been publicly criticized for many years now due alleged poor highway law and order implementation such as allowing passing of illegally cut logs, overloaded cargo and logging trucks and undetected passing of carnapped vehicles due alleged corruption practices.

Sometime in 2004, five personnel from Highway Patrol Group, LTO and joint LGU-DENR checkpoint personnel were killed after an attack by suspected NPA rebels in a checkpoint in Barangay Taligaman, Butuan City. 

 

            Caraga police regional information office report identified the victim as Police Officer 3 Johnny Gerodias who is assigned in a checkpoint situated near provincial highway boundary of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur in Barangay Cutlog, Barangay Bahi, Surigao del Sur.

 

            Initial police investigation results claimed that the victim was on board his issued Highway Patrol single motorcycle a Honda XL 200 model bearing plate number SL 7010 on the way to San Francisco, Agusan del Sur from Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur when assassin suspects riding in tandem on a single motorcycle Honda XRM, colored black with no plate number opened fire at the police officer.

 

            Police said the victim was able to retaliate but when he changed magazine and reload that’s when he got hit and fall into the road pavement of the national highway that resulted his untimely death.

 

            Police said Gerodias sustained gunshot wounds on his back all the way through his right breast.

 

            The suspects who fled towards Poblacion San Francisco town on board single motorcycle Honda XRM, colored black with no plate number left the motorcycle at busy Adlayan Bridge in Barangay Hubang, San Francisco town.

 

            The area is very busy as it is the only highway to and from Davao City, Davao, General Santos and Compostela Valley provinces and Caraga region where big passenger buses passed every almost seconds.

 

            Hot pursuit operation was immediately conducted by the responding team that resulted in the recovery of the suspect’s motorcycle.

 

Recovered from the crime scene were the pistol and ammunitions of the victim which were later brought by the SOCO Team to ADS Crime Laboratory Office, Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

 

            Both motorcycles of the victim and the suspects are now in the custody of the PNP, police said.

 

            Police said they are still conducting follow up hot pursuit operations against the suspects while further investigation is on-going. (PNA/Ben Serrano)





(Disclamer)
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