CEBU CITY – A policeman who was accused of rape and extortion allegedly shot himself in the head about three hours after his alleged victim was fatally shot while standing by the road here on Monday night, April 19.
Police Staff Sgt. Celso Colita was found with a gunshot wound in the forehead inside the toilet of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit.
Colita was the policeman who was accused of raping 35-year-old Ritchie Nepomuceno.
Nepomuceno was gunned down while standing by the road in Barangay Basak around 7 p.m. or about three hours before the policeman's alleged suicide.
Nepomuceno had accused Colita and 10 other policemen from the Sawang Calero Police Station of extorting P170, 000 from her.
The woman also alleged that she was raped twice by Colita in a motel.
Shortly after Nepomuceno was killed, Colita was asked to report to the Regional Intelligence Division.
Police said Colita excused himself while talking to one of the police officials at the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas.
Colita went to the toilet where a gunshot later rang out.
Fellow policemen rushed to the toilet and found a bloodied Colita slumped on the floor.
A. 45 caliber pistol was found near his body.
Police said it was not immediately known why the policeman had a firearm when he and his 10 co-accused had been disarmed and placed under camp restriction after a string of charges were filed against them.
More details to follow.