Cop shot dead

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE active campaign against illegal drugs and gambling operations could be the motives in the shooting to death of a police officer Tuesday morning (Nov. 2) in Muelle Loney, Iloilo City.

PO2 Joemarie Lamis, a native of Brgy. Alalasan, LaPaz district who was assigned at the Guimaras Provincial Police Office, was on his way home to LaPaz on board his motorcycle when two motorcycle-riding suspects waylaid him near an eatery on Muelle Loney Street.

He died at the Iloilo St. Paul’s Hospital past 9am.

Lamis was hit in his right shoulder although investigators of the City Proper police station surmised that he died of massive head injuries when he fell from his motorcycle near Wild Cats KTV bar.

A 53-year-old witness who was gathering scrap near the crime scene said he saw two burly persons standing by the roadside.

The witness said he then saw Lamis driving towards the provincial capitol area. At the same time, the two men drove off a black motorcycle towards the policeman’s direction.

The witness said he then heard three successive gun fires when the two motorcycles met. He claimed that the back rider shot Lamis with a hand gun.

Lamis managed to drive further ,some 30 meters away, until he fell down in front of Wild Cats (formerly Happy Cats bar).

The suspects fled towards the waterfront area and remain at-large.

A tricycle driver who passed by the area brought Lamis to St. Paul’s Hospital where he was declared dead around 9:45am.

C/Insp. Eliezer Baclagon, City Proper police chief, said they recovered three spent shells of caliber .45 bullets, a shell of caliber .9mm bullet and a deformed slug of unknown gun caliber.

BACKGROUND

Lamis was assigned at the LaPaz police station before he was sent to Guimaras. While in Iloilo City, the slain police officer was active in anti-illegal drugs operations.

Lamis was also responsible for neutralizing the First Two operations (a form of illegal gambling) in LaPaz which is believed to be the reason for his transfer to Guimaras.

The slain police officer was also feted for being part of the team that neutralized the bukas kotse gang that plagued Iloilo City early this year.

Lamis was a son of Punong Barangay Anita Lamis of Alalasan, LaPaz.

Investigators said the suspects may have been following Lamis before the hit.