A case of kidnapping or elopement? Tupi cops wanna know

KORONADAL CITY - Police authoritiesin Tupi, South Cotabato are still determining whether the 16-year-old girl was forcibly taken or voluntarily accompanied a man who shot dead a police officer along a highway in South Cotabato Friday afternoon.Senior Insp. Larry Salcedo, Tupi police chief, the first report that reached the police office from the father was that his daughter was forcibly taken by Rex Ratolin and forced into a motorbike then sped away.Salcedo said if it was case of abduction, the girl whom he did not identify could have evaded and run, but she did not but boarded the suspect's motorbike.Inspector Salcedo said SPO1 Florentino Suganob Jr, 44,Tupi intelligence operatives was first to respond and chased the suspect. Riding his motorcycle, the police chased the suspected kidnapper and his alleged victim. Butwhen they reached Purok 10 in Barangay Poblacion Tupi, Rex Ratolin of Bawing, Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudaratshot the police with an unidentified firearm, hitting him on his back and the side portion of his body. Although wounded,Suganob managed to fire his gun hitting the suspect on different part of his body. The girl was unharmed. Unfortunately our police died while being treated at a private hospital in General Santos City,” Salcedo told DXOM FM Koronadal Saturday. The alleged kidnapped victim is now in the custody of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Salcedo said that because of his heroic deed Suganob might be given a posthumouspromotion award by the PNP.