A former policeman who reportedly tested positive for drug use twice when he was in the service was shot dead inside a cockpit arena in Dauis on Thursday afternoon in what appeared to be a carefully planned attack on the victim which also resulted in the death of one of the establishment’s attendants.
Authorities believe that victim Zandro Angelo Zamora, 34, of Barangay Taloto in Tagbilaran City went to the cockpit arena to sell illegal drugs to a buyer who has yet to be identified.
Based on initial police investigation, there were six suspects stationed around the Dauis Cockpit Arena in Barangay Totolan during the attack but only two bonnet-wearing suspects gunned down the victim.
The Dauis Police Station said that Zamora arrived at the cockpit at around 2:30 p.m. while the two gunmen were waiting for him outside.
The suspects immediately shot Zamora when he arrived but the initial gunshots failed to incapacitate him.
Zamora ran inside the cockpit and asked for help from one of the attendants identified as Paterna Acuna, while the suspects chased him down.
Paterna tried to block the gunmen from entering the arena but one of them shot her in the chest.
Meanwhile, Zamora reached the back end of the establishment but the suspects were able to catch up and shoot him repeatedly.
Zamora sustained multiple gunshot wounds in his head and body.
He died on the spot while Paterna was rushed to the Ramiro Community Hospital in Tagbilaran City but was declared dead on arrival.
Scene of the Crime Operatives later recovered five spent bullet shells near Zamora’s body while they also found a sachet of suspected shabu inside his pocket.
According to the Dauis police, they found two text conversations in Zamora’s cellphone which may be related to his killing.
Police said that Zamora conversed with an unidentified Filipino-speaking person who he only referred to as “Dong.”
Zamora was supposed to meet the unidentified texter at the arena to sell him a packet of shabu for P500 based on their conversation.
In another cellphone dialogue earlier on the same day, Zamora asked an also unidentified person if there were cops in the cockpit’s vicinity to which the texter replied that there were none.
However, at past 2 p.m., the same texter told Zamora not to proceed to the cockpit warning him that there were people waiting for him.
“Naay mga naka civilian,” the texter said.
Authorities believe that Zamora was unable to read the text which may have caused him to still go to the arena despite the threat.
Meanwhile, police have yet to disclose the motive behind the fatal attack on the former policeman while no suspects have been identified, although they noted that the victim had been receiving multiple death threats in the past.
Zamora was a police officer 2 and was assigned in Tagbilaran City in 2016 when he reportedly tested positive for illegal drug use.
He was reassigned in Cortes and was again alleged of drug use before he was declared AWOL (absent without official leave). (W. Maestrado)