A wife’s lament: He was too serious with his job

PO3 Queen Brigitte Nuñez watches over the wake of her murdered husband Senior Insp. Alexander Nuñez at St. Peter Memorial in Mandaue City as she grieves the death of an ideal husband and provider whom her children idolized for being a hero. Nuñez would go beyond the call of duty to help others and respond to any alarm, even when alone. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

“DAY nag-ilis nako. Padulog nako lakaw (My lady, I’m already dressed. I’m on my way)”

These were the last words of slain Catmon police chief Senior Insp. Alexander Nuñez to his wife before he was killed by a band of brothers in Barangay Fuente, Carmen town, North Cebu a day before Christmas and just hours before his family’s Noche Buena.

PO3 Queen Brigitte Nuñez said that her husband was excited to go home to their house in Lapu-Lapu City where their two sons were waiting for him.

“Nasabutan namo nga mag spend siya og Christmas sa amoa. Mouli siya afternoon sa Dec. 24 para makasugat siya og pasko sa balay. Excited siya kay close man gud na siya sa mga bata (We agreed that he will spend Christmas together with us, that he will go home afternoon of Dec. 24 so that we can have Christmas together in our home. He was very excited because he was really close to our children),” PO3 Brigitte said.

Their sons, aged 6 and 3, were so close to Alexander that they both looked up to their dad and considered him a hero, said Brigitte.

Brigitte described her husband as a “very dedicated police officer”.

She said that there were times when Alexander prioritized his work more than his family during special occasions and on big police operations.

And her husband always had the tendency to respond to an alarm even when alone because he was very serious with his work as a police officer.

“Mao gyud na sige nakog balik-balik niya grabe kaayo siya ka seryoso sa iyahang trabaho. Naa g’yud siyay tendency nga mo responde siya ra usa (I kept on telling him about it that he was too serious with his work. He had the tendency to respond to an alarm even when he was alone),” Brigitte said of her husband whom she described as “very humble”.

From vendor to cop

Alexander grew up in northern Cebu working very hard to put himself through school.

“Nagdako g’yud na siya sa mercado sa Danao. Bisan nageskwela siya naninda na siya ug mga lamas sa mercado aron lang makahuman sa iyahang kurso nga Criminology (He grew up selling in the Danao City market. Even when he was in school, he sold vegetables so that he could finish his course in Criminology),” Brigitte said.

Alexander joined the police force in 2002.

Before Catmon, where he served as police station chief, he was assigned in the police stations of Mandaue City, Carcar City, and the towns of Sogod and Carmen.

He was a good provider and a loving family man, said Brigitte.

“Mangayo ko og hustisya. Kay dili ko kadawat nga tiwayon siya ing-ana. Police man ‘sab ko. Kahibaw ko risgo ang trabaho sa police. Sa gidangatan niya dili makatarunganon ug dili makiangayon ang gibuhat sa mga suspect niya (I want justice. I cannot accept that he died just like that. I am also a police and I know the risks. But what the suspects did to him was not fair),” she said.

Senior Insp. Nuñez, was in civilian clothes and had taken a few hours off just so he could go home and spend noche buena with his family in Lapu-Lapu City when he was shot and killed by a bunch of rowdy brothers that he was trying to pacify along the road in Carmen town.

One of the brothers died while trying to shoot Nuñez who managed to fire back at the suspect; but the others ganged up on the police officer and shot him in the head his own service firearm.

Two other brothers were later killed by other policemen as they allegedly tried to grab the weapon of the arresting cops.

The suspects were identified as Camilo Jayson Jr.,33, and his brothers Carlito, 32, Carlo, 28, Ricardo, 22, and Jaime,21.

Carlito, Camilo and Ricardo were all killed; while Carlo is in police custody. Jaime remains at large.

Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director Sen. Supt. Eric Noble told CDN that a case for murder was filed against brothers Carlo and Jaime on Tuesday at the Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) deputy regional director for operations Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas called on Jaime to surrender saying that he was wanted “dead or alive.”

Lawas also warned the public that the suspect was “armed and dangerous” as he still had in his possession the service firearm of the slain Catmon police chief.

“Magappeal ta niya mosurrender nalang siya aron madungog usab iyahang side (We would like to appeal to him to surrender so that we can also air his side),” Lawas said.