ILOILO City – Police Officer 1 Dorben Acap of the Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Headquarters Support Group positively identified Police Officer 2 Melvin Mocorro of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Regional Public Safety Battalion as the one who shot him in Barangay Dulonan, Arevalo district on Tuesday.
Yesterday afternoon, the Arevalo police station placed Mocorro under hospital arrest.
Acap would be filing a frustrated murder charge against Mocorro.
From the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao district, Mocorro was transferred to the Iloilo Mission Hospital in La Paz for gunshot wounds on his right side and a leg. Acap said he was able to fire back at Mocorro.
Acap’s positive identification of Mocorro was bolstered by testimonies from witnesses at the scene of Tuesday afternoon’s shooting, said Senior Inspector Grace Borio, Arevalo police chief.
“We were able to talk to Acap. Mocorro took off his helmet after he was hit. That was how Acap was able to identify him,” said Borio.
Arevalo police investigators were able to establish that Mocorro fired at Acap first, Borio added.
“We have other circumstantial evidences supporting Acap’s version of what happened. But we could not yet establish Mocorro’s motive,” said Borio.
Mocorro had reportedly taken a 15-day vacation leave from his ARMM assignment. He is a resident of Bacolod City.
Borio said Mocorro refused to issue a statement when told he was being placed under hospital arrest.
“Wala gid kami may nakuha nga tinanga or reaction,” she said.
Acap said he was driving his car when shot. The shooter was driving a motorcycle.
Acap said he was able to fire back and hit the gunman who was rescued by a backup, another motorcycle-driving man.
“I want to know what forced them to shoot each other,” said Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director, on Tuesday.
Acap, nephew of Iloilo City councilor Lyndon Acap, was classified a high-value drug target by the Iloilo City Police Office that’s why he was detailed at the Regional Headquarters Support Group.
Acap, however, denied any involvement in illegal drugs.
Prior to his ARMM assignment, Mocorro was assigned at the Iloilo Police Provincial Office.
Acap, on the other hand, was formerly a member of the Iloilo City police’s anti-illegal drug team and the regional police’s anti-illegal drug task force./PN