BACOLOD CITY – Police Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) chief, said that two police officers were placed under restrictive custody and were disarmed over two shooting incidents where a woman and three lawmen were killed in Sibulan, Negros Oriental on Friday, Jan. 9.

Ibay traveled to the province on Saturday, Jan. 10, to check the progress of the investigation and met the members of the media in a press briefing.

Ibay said these policemen were part of a group of lawmen who went to a bar in Barangay Tubtubon. "There were six of them, including the police chief," he said.

A closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage has been circulating on social media showing a police officer – Police Staff Sgt. Bonifacio Saycon – allegedly shooting the woman to death in a bar.

The PRO-NIR said Saycon's companions, Police Senior Master Sgt. Tristan Chua, Police Patrolman Rey Albert Temblor, and Police Capt. Jose Edrohil Cimafranca, Sibulan police chief, who was reported to be celebrating his birth anniversary on Jan. 9, were seated on a couch inside the bar together with the woman, an employee of the nightspot. The two other policemen were in another table.

Initial investigation said that Cimafranca, Chua, and Temblor responded to the shooting, arrested Saycon, and disarmed him.

However, follow-up investigation revealed that Saycon, Cimafranca, Temblor, and Chua were seen leaving the bar together and boarding a vehicle reportedly owned by the Sibulan police chief after the shooting.

"The suspect shot the victim thrice. And meron pang diskusyon o pag-uusap sa labas ng establishment bago sila sumakay ng sasakyan (And there was a heated discussion outside the establishment before they boarded the car)," Ibay said.

Ibay said the two other policemen drove their motorcycles to seek assistance from a rural health unit after the bar shooting. This will be subjected to further investigation, Ibay said.

Responding Sibulan police responded found Cimafranca's Mitsubishi Lancer parked in a roadside and the three wounded policemen who were declared dead in a hospital.

Ibay said that Cimafranca was driving his vehicle, with Saycon seated at the passenger seat with an officer, and another cop seated next to Cimafranca.

He noted that during an arrest, the protocol should be to handcuff a suspect, but there are crimes which does not warrant the handcuff especially if the police can subdue the suspect.

"Pinipilit naming alamin ang motive sa pagpatay sa babae sa bar (We are determining the motive of the killing) and to establish what really happened in the car," Ibay said.

He said that part of their investigation is to determine if there were violations committed during the arrest of the suspect and why he was not handcuffed, following the shooting.

Ibay added that part of the probe is to determine why these police officers were in a bar, despite the prohibition for uniformed men unless work-related, including the possession of a firearm in an establishment.

"We can never tell kung ano motibo niya or kung pinagplanuhan niya (the motive or if he planned it). Hindi pa namin masabi sa ngayon. Palaisipan kung ba't nagawa niya iyon (We can’t tell yet. It is a mystery)," Ibay said.

Saycon surrendered to Tanjay City Police Station late Saturday night. He turned over his service firearm.

Ibay said the suspect was silent about the incident. He said that they have witnesses and establishing additional evidence that can pin down the suspect.

Police Col. Criscente Tiguelo, Negros Oriental police director, said the suspect reportedly used a .45 caliber pistol in the bar shooting and a .9mm caliber was recovered in Cimafranca's car based on the evidence. These pieces of evidence were subjected to ballistic examination.

Tiguelo said they have low morale after the incident but assured that they will solve the case.

Ibay assured the people that they will uncover the truth. He said they have identified several CCTVs and will request establishments for the retrieval of the recordings. "Anyone found liable regardless of rank or position will be held accountable under the law," Ibay said.