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Police Corporal Alfred Dawatan Sabas (left) speaks to reporters at the Magsaysay municipal police station after his shooting rampage in a bus and a police detachment. PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGSAYSAY POLICE STATION

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Days after shooting dead a passenger on a running bus in Cotabato province and injuring two police officers in Davao del Sur, the suspect sought forgiveness for his offenses.

Police Corporal Alfred Dawatan Sabas, however, will face murder charges to be filed by the Makilala town police in Cotabato province and charges of frustrated murder to be filed by the Magsaysay municipal police in Davao del Sur.

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Sabas, assigned to the Gen. Santos City police office, told reporters at the police station in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, that he was “sorry” for what happened around 3 a.m. on Saturday inside the Mindanao Star bus, where he shot a passenger without provocation following an argument with his live-in partner.

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Reynaldo Bigno Jr., an off-duty security guard, was hit on the head and died. “I would like to apologize to the family of the bus passenger whom I shot dead, please forgive me, I repent for what I have done,” Sabas told reporters when asked why he shot Bigno without any reason inside a running bus.

Bigno, a resident of Barangay Batasan, Makilala, Cotabato, was unarmed when he was shot.

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Witnesses, including the bus driver, told police investigators that Sabas and his live-in partner appeared to be quarreling when, without provocation, he shot Bigno, who was seated near the bus driver.

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Sabas, who appeared drunk at the time of the shooting, also said he was suffering from depression. “I have so many problems at work, with my family,” said Sabas, 32.

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His live-in partner, Phoenix Marie Javier, 22, refused to talk to the media.

After shooting Bigno, Sabas told the driver he was a police officer and directed him to continue driving until they reached a police checkpoint in Barangay New Opon, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.

Sabas and his live-in partner alighted and sought protection from police officers manning the checkpoint, telling them that armed men in a van were tailing him.

He also told the police at the checkpoint that he was a police officer assigned to Gen. Santos City, according to Major Laurence Conde, Magsaysay police station chief.

Conde said the police officer from the 1104th Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB-Region 11) informed his colleagues about Sabas’ request and instructed them to prepare in case the van with armed men arrived.

But at 4:15 a.m., Sabas shot and injured two unsuspecting police officers inside the checkpoint. The injured were Corporal Kent Maurith Pamaos and Patrolwoman Russel Love Tapia, both from the 1104th RMFB 11.

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Sabas and his live-in partner fled, but police later captured them. A 9mm pistol with two magazines and 37 bullets was recovered from Sabas.

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Police later learned that his live-in partner had been arrested in Kidapawan City in February 2024 for peddling illegal drugs but was out on bail.

READ: 1 cop killedluckywin, 8 others wounded, 2 missing in clash with NPA in Occidental Mindoro

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