Cotabato City cops eye personal grudge in soldier's killing

COTABATO CITY - Police authorities here believed the motive behind the killing of an Army corporal inside the city mega market was personal in nature.Senior Inspector Efren Salazar, Police Station 1 chief, identified the victim as Cpl. Roberto Bautista, 39, resident of Barangay Poblacion 3, Cotabato City andassigned with the 6th Infantry Division Training School in Barangay Semba, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguidnanao Salazar said Bautista was inside the public market when an unidentified gunman approached from behind and shot him in the head at about 5 a.m. Tuesday.He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.It was the 34th shooting incident in the city since January.Despite the incidents, Cotabato City police director Senior Supt. Rolen Balquin believed the city is still safe and the shooting cases were either drug related or due to personal grudge involving the victims and the suspects. Balquin told the Cotabato City Peace and Order Council meeting Tuesday that his office only recorded 69 crime incidents from January to April this year as compared to 75 cases during the same period last year. These crime incidents include carnapping, robbery and theft, homicide, physical injury, frustrated homicide, frustrated murder and murder. Balquin said the reduced crime incidents was due to intensified campaign against crimeby the local police and the Army Special Forces. He vowed to intensify further the campaign by implementing various operation plans. It includes Oplan Sita, Oplan Kapkap-Bakal, Open pipe campaign and the conduct of more checkpoints in the city.