SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 2 Feb) – Still unidentified riding-in-tandem suspects shot to death a retired judge here shortly before noon Thursday.
Police identified the victim as Victor A. Canoy, 70, who retired as presiding judge of Regional Trial Court Judge Branch 29 in Surigao City.
Canoy was reportedly buying food at an eatery along Borja Street around 11:25 a.m. when a lone gunman hastily walked behind him and shot him at point-blank range.
Eyewitnesses told police investigators that Canoy crawled towards the suspect and was able to hold the feet of the gunman. But the latter shot him in the head several times, causing his instantaneous death.
Police reports quoted an eyewitness as saying that the pistol used had a long muzzle, which could be a silencer.
After killing the judge the gunman joined his accomplice, who was waiting on a motorcycle a few meters away from the crime scene, and fled, police said.
But the fleeing suspects were surprised by the presence of a police officer who was detailed at the junction of Borja and Kaimo Streets.
PO2 Hertenio Carduza Cubillan said he tried to stop the suspects but the gunman fired at him. Sensing imminent danger, Cubillan drew and shot back.
“I believed he was hit by a bullet on his back,” Cubillan claimed.
He said he could have open fired but a tricycle passed by, forcing him to hold his fire.
The suspects reportedly fled towards Kaskag in Barangay Washington.
The victim was rushed to the Caraga Regional Hospital but physicians said he was already died by the time his body reached the hospital.
Police said the victim succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in the body and head.
As of press time, no suspects have been arrested yet in connection to the killing.
The police’s scene of the crime operatives (SOCO) recovered four empty 9mm shells and three live ammunition. (Roel N. Catoto / MindaNews)
