Contributed Photo via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A police officer has surrendered to the City Intelligence Unit of the Lapu-Lapu Police Station past 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 20, 2022, after his name surfaced as one of the suspects in the killing the Baringui-an couple last February 13, 2022, in Sitio Tapok-Tapok, Barangay Panadtaran in San Fernando town.
In a spot report from the Regional Tactical Operation Center (RTOC-7), police identified the officer as Police Staff Sergeant Junrey Gillana Batobalunos, 42, who is assigned in the City Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) and a resident of Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City.
Around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 20, 2022, Batobalunos personally appeared at the LLCPO-CIU and surrendered himself after he was being tagged as one of the suspects in the killing of the Baringui-an couple, Balungag councilwoman Ma. Louela, and her husband, Pedro.
Batobalunos also surrendered his KG9 submachine pistol with two magazines loaded with 18 service ammunition.
Samantha Baringui-an, the daughter of the late couple, said the family is deeply disturbed knowing that a police officer is tagged as one of the suspects in the killing her parents.
“Wala mi ga expect nga naa diay ingun ana nga pulis. Pagkita nako nga pulis diay ang usa sa mga suspect, bawlang, nag bukal akong dugo,” she added.
(We didn’t expect that there are police officers like that. When we saw that a police officer was one of the suspects, I don’t know, but it made my blood boil.)
Samantha hopes that investigation will continue and that the other suspects will be identified soon so they can bring justice to the death of her parents.
It can be remembered that at least five individuals who claimed to be ‘military men’ barged into the house of the Baringui-an couple and killed the two. San Fernando police initially considered personal grudge and robbery as the possible motives of the incident.
/bmjo
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