Involvement of drug personalities seen in intel cop’s murder
Police intelligence officer Joemarie Lamis could have been killed because illegal drug personalities wanted him to keep silent.
Senior Insp. Eliezer Baclagon, chief of Police Station 1, said a lot of information they have received indicate such possibility, including the report that the suspects are from Brgy. Bakhaw, Mandurriao, one of Iloilo City’s drug havens.
“Various informants told us about this. The suspects were frequently seen in Brgy. Bakhaw but that’s something we have yet to verify,” he said.
Baclagon also refused to discuss further the suspects’ profiles.
On Tuesday morning, Lamis was shot by two men on board a motorcycle along the corner of Muelle Loney and Delgado St. while on his way home to Brgy. Alalasan, La Paz district.
Baclagon said the suspects might be guns-for-hire because of the swift execution of the crime.
He said Lamis might have been placed under surveillance before he was killed.
Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol Jr., director of Police Regional Office 6, also said that illegal drugs is being considered as the motive in the killing of Lamis.
Lamis has been assigned in the intelligence section at La Paz Police Station and at Guimaras Police Provincial Office, which was his latest deployment.
He also handled 55 illegal drug cases, some of which were already filed in court.
“It’s a big possibility that the motive is work-related,” said Querol, who ordered the PRO6 Regional Intelligence Office and other intelligence units to intensify their operations to identify the suspects.
Supt. Graciano Zapanta, commander of Task Force Joemarie, said they are exploring all possible angles in Lamis’ death.
“We are doing a lot of follow-up on the leads. We are collating these information for evaluation,” he said.
Autopsy Result
Autopsy result shows that Lamis died of a fatal gunshot wound on his right arm near the shoulder.
Dr. Owen Libaquin, PRO6 medico-legal officer, said the trajectory of the bullet is toward the center portion of the victim’s body.
“There is only one gunshot wound but there are lots of laceration wounds on his chest organ,” he said.
Libaquin said the special bullet that killed the victim is compatible with a .45 caliber firearm.*
