Police Corporal Marlon Belleres was on his way to the Cebu City Police Office when he was shot dead by a still unidentified gunman earlier today, March 21, 2020. | CDND File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Policemen in Talisay City are pursuing love angle and personal grudge in the killing of Police Corporal Marlon Belleres earlier today, March 21, 2020.
Quoting the outcome of their initial investigation, Police Major Gerard Ace Pelare, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, said that Belleres was shot dead by a lone gunman. But he already refused to elaborate on their findings so as not to jeopardize their ongoing investigation.
“What is very important or significant information is that the suspect is alone. This is different from the usual. We (now) have a good lead for the case,” said Pelare.
Read: Cop assigned at CCPO’s MPG, drug suspect killed in separate shooting incidents in Talisay City
Belleres was shot dead shortly after he left his home in Barangay Dumlog in Talisay City at around 9 a.m. today. He was driving his motorcycle on his way to work at the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG) headquarters that is located inside the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) compound along Gorordo Avenue in Cebu City.
Witnesses said that Belleres had just left their subdivision and was driving northbound when the lone suspect, who was also on board a motorcycle and was wearing a full-face helmet, passed by. The suspect, who was on the road’s southbound lane made a u-turn and followed the policeman, before firing shots at him.
Belleres sustained bullet wounds on his nape, right arm, waist, and back which caused his immediate death.
Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) recovered five empty shells from a .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene. They also noticed that Belleres’ cellphone had gone missing.
Pelare said they continue to look into Belleres’ background and his recent activities hoping to get more information on his killing and the people behind it.
They are also looking for Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) that are mounted in establishments and homes in the area hoping to find a recording of the shooting incident or what the gunman looked like.
Pelare said that Belleres used to be assigned at the investigation section of the Mabolo Police Station prior to his transfer to the MPG sometime in July 2019.
During their talk, Pelare said that Police Lieutenant Colonel Kit Andaya, the MPG head, had told him that Belleres was a good person who was very passionate about his work.
Meanwhile, Pelare said that they also continue to investigate the killing of Bobby Badajos in Barangay Tangke at least two hours before Belleres was killed.
Badajos, Pelare said, was a drug suspect who was arrested last year but was released from detention after he agreed to a plea bargain.
Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CCPO), said that the recent killings in Talisay City are isolated cases and are already being thoroughly investigated by the police.
He said that they are doing their best to make sure that the assailants are caught and put behind bars. / dcb