Cop who arrested suspect in judge's killing shot dead in Cavite

The policeman who arrested the suspect in the killing of a judge was shot dead in Cavite on Sunday afternoon, according to Emil Sumangil's exclusive report on "24 Oras" on Monday.

PO3 Arlene Lucban of the Anti-Organized Crime Division of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) was shot dead at 5:45 p.m. on Malagasang Road in Imus town, the report said.

Lucban was the policeman who arrested Jay Deogades Joson alias Jepoy, the main suspect in the killing of Judge Wildredo Nieves of the Bulacan Regional Trial Court in November last year.

Nieves was the judge who convicted Raymond Dominguez, leader of a notorious car theft syndicate operating in Central Luzon.

The "24 Oras" report said Lucban was on board a motorcycle with a child passenger when he realized that he was being followed by the suspect, who was also on board a motorcycle.

Lucban was shot when he stopped to confront the suspect, the report added. The child passenger was unhurt in the incident.

The report also said Lucban was able to fire his gun eight times before collapsing on the road due to the gunshot wounds he sustained in the chest.

Police said Lucban filed an earlier case against the suspect for attempting to stab him following an altercation.

"Sinaway ng ating pulis yung pagpapatakbo nila ng mabilis, subalit minasama nitong dalawa, nagkaroon ng pagtatalo at nagkaroon ng murahan," said P/Supt. Redrico Maranan, chief of Imus Police.

However, the PNP-CIDG said it would look into the possibility that the killing may be related to Lucban's past police operations, the "24 Oras" report said.

"Si PO3 Lucban ay isang matino at naasahan talagang operatiba [at] marami siyang napahuli na," said Chief Inspector Jay Icawat, chief of CIDG-Cavite.