RD Soria orders manhunt for retired cop’s killers

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
March 25, 2013

CAMP SEC. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) ordered his men to mobilize police investigating units in Samar province to help track down the suspects in the killing of a retired police officer, revered as a folk hero in Catbalogan City, last week.

"This is a very unfortunate incident. Whatever the motive of the perpetrators is, the attack is very uncivil and cold-blooded, and deserves appropriate police action to give justice to the victim and his family,” Soria told his men during Monday’s PRO8 Command Conference.

Soria said he has alerted investigating units of the PRO8 and its Police Provincial Offices to join the hunt for the two gunmen who shot and killed Severino “Benny” Solis, a retired Police Senior Inspector, in Catbalogan City on Tuesday morning.

“We have directed our investigators to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the suspects, establish the motive and file murder charges in court against the assailants,” he added.

Solis had just finished playing tennis at around 7:15 A.M. at the Capitol Tennis Court located behind the Samar provincial capitol when the two unidentified men treacherously shot him from behind.

Responding policemen conducted dragnet operations and alerted nearby units to possibly intercept the suspects while elements of the Samar Provincial Public Safety Company were also deployed to join the pursuit.

Investigators are now conducting forensic examination on the three slugs recovered from the victim’s body and four spent cartridges from a caliber .45 pistol that were recovered from the scene while police have already came up with a composite facial sketch of the suspects for possible identification by witnesses.

"We are looking at his previous work as a police officer and business rivalry as a possible motive,” Soria added. The victim entered into the contracting business and small-time lending after his retirement.

Solis was a highly decorated and well-respected police officer and regarded as a folk hero in Catbalogan City where he spent most of his law enforcement career.

He gained prominence and hero status when he shot and killed a mentally-deranged man who runs amuck in downtown Catbalogan in the late 80’s.

As seasoned investigator, he handled and solved several high profile cases in Catbalogan City in a colorful law enforcement career spanning three decades.

He was the Intelligence Officer of Samar Police Provincial Office when the PNP launched the first serious police operations against Private Armed Groups (PAGs) in Samar’s first district on January 25, 2005 when he led a composite team from the PNP, Navy Seals and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) leading to an armed encounter with members of the Montealto PAG at the seawaters of Brgy. Tonga-tonga, Almagro, Samar.

The operation resulted in the arrest of PAG member Riolindo Reyes and the confiscation of several high-powered firearms and ammunitions.

The PAG’s political benefactor, however, initiated the filing criminal and administrative to harass Solis and members of the law enforcement team before the Office of the Ombudsman that were all dismissed three years after for lack of merit.