PNP senior officer slain in Iligan City

ILIGAN CITY (19 Apr 2018) - A senior police officer, while doing his early morning jog, was shot dead in Zone 4, Barangay Del Carmen, this city, Thursday, 19 Apr 2018, by still unidentified riding-in-tandem assassins. 

Senior Police Officer 4 Jonas Balbutin

The victim, Senior Police Officer 4 Jonas Balbutin, 56, was due to retire in three months time, according to Iligan City Police Director Leony Roy Ga during a radio interview, moments after the incident.  

Balbutin died instantaneously from multiple gunshot wounds.

While being shot at, SPO4 Balbutin still managed to run a few meters away from where he was first shot and cautioned other joggers of the attack, "Dagan mo kay gipusil ko!" witnesses said.  But the armed men fired at him again and left him for dead.

At the face of death, SPO4 Balbutin remains your "Higalang Pulis," his fellow officers extol his virtues.

The gunmen were able to escape quickly, but police hope that the footage from a nearby resident's CCTV will be able to help them identify the gunmen.


Police City Director Ga said Balbutin was already on a non-duty status and was just waiting for his retirement from service.

The police are still gathering further pieces of evidence relative to the incident to determine the identities and motive of the assassins, Police City Director Leony Roy Ga further said.

The attack on SPO4 Balbutin is the second shooting incident in the city after the election gun ban was implemented.