ANGELES CITY – A police here who was riding his single motorbike was shot dead by two unidentified men at the thickly-populated area in Barangay Salapungan on Monday afternoon.
Chief Insp. Wilfredo Paulo, Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) Station 6 commander, identified the victim as P01 Gaudencio M. Tolentino, 35, of 5th Street, Marisol Subd. Barangay Ninoy Aquino, this city.
Paulo said Tolentino was a police operative assigned at Station 6. He added that his cop was following up anti-criminality and drug-related cases when killed by two men riding in tandem on a motorcycle at the Dona Agrifina St. corner Limasawa Extension at about 1:00 p.m.
At least one bullet coming from a .45 caliber pistol pierced through the head of Tolentino instantly killing him, said Paulo.
This developed as City Police Director Sr. Supt. Pierre Bucsit said they had pursued a lead three hours after the murder.
"We have a suspect and I asked our police to locate the suspect in their house in the city," said Bucsit in a phone interview. But he has yet to say if the suspect had been arrested.
Asked about the motive of the killing, Bucsit said "it’s personal and not work-related."
Paulo said Tolentino had informed them about getting death threats before being killed. He added that Tolentino had been assigned at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at Camp Olivas.
"There may be connections in his past work as cop which led to his tragic death. But maybe it’s not drugs," said Paulo.
"We can’t say much about his death threats because it might jeopardize the investigation," he added.
Paulo said he had no problem with Tolentino as a member of his operatives unit.
Salapungan Barangay Captain Robert Yeen, who was in his house near the scene of the crime when the killing happened, said Tolentino had been shot by two men coming from the opposite direction.
He added that Tolentino was murdered in a thickly-populated area and near a tricycle passenger station.
