By LIEZLE BASA IÑIGO
NUEVA VIZCAYA — A police officer was found dead with a bullet wound in the mouth in the backyard of a house Wednesday morning, hours after he shot and killed his fellow cop at a border checkpoint in Purok 2, Barangay Bakir, Bagabag town here.
Police Master Sgt. Jefferson Bartolome, 43, allegedly shot dead Police Cpl. Jomar Puhay, 36, during their heated argument at about 11:55 p.m. Tuesday inside a makeshift kitchen in the border control point at the height of typhoon Florita, according to the police report.
Patrolman Christian Manibug, who heard the gunshot, rushed to the kitchen where he found Puhay lying unconscious on the ground with a gunshot in the head.
MSgt. Bartolome fled after the incident.
Puhay was declared dead on arrival at Regional 2 Trauma Medical Center in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.
As police authorities were tracking down the suspect, a certain Dr. Eric Dugong, 42, discovered in his backyard MSgt. Bartolome lying dead on the ground with a gunshot wound in the mouth at about 5:35 a.m. Wednesday.
Police investigators recovered at the scene Bartolome’s Gen 4 9mm Gloc 17 pistol and one fired cartridge case of 9mm bullet.
They also conducted paraffin tests on both victims and suspects.
Puhay and Bartolome were members of the Bagabag Police, but the latter was detailed at 1st Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Mobile Force Company (NVPMFC) Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.
Police provincial director Col. Ranser Evasco has ordered the relief of the chief of police of Bagabag and the team leader and members of the Border Control Point “so as not to influence the ongoing investigation” on the incident.
Police Maj Romeo Barnachea of Bagabag PNP will be transferred to the Police Provincial Office of Nueva Vizcaya, according to the police report.
