Wife of cop stabbed dead still recuperating

By Teddy Molina

BANTAY, Ilocos Sur – The pregnant wife of a police officer is still recuperating after she was recently stabbed while trying to help her husband who was trying to pacify a melee on a basketball court here.

One of security escorts of Ilocos Sur Vice Gov. Deogracias Victor Savellano, PO2 Rufino Rapacon, the husband was knifed to death night of Dec. 29.

His six-month pregnant wife Florence, with rank of Police Officer 1, was seriously stabbed in the abdomen.

Investigation showed Rufino rushed out of his house near the basketball court in Barangay Cabaroan where a tournament was being held to pacify the players who were having a quarrel.

PO1 Estrellita Regua, assistant investigator of the Bantay police station, said the four brothers attacked Rapacon, with one of them stabbing him in the back with a broken beer bottle.

She identified the suspects as the Bautista brothers Roberto, 39; Roger, 48; Rollie and Ronnie, 33.

When Rapacon fell, Rollie Bautista stabbed the policeman in the chest with a knife. It was Roger who attacked the policeman with the beer bottle, Regua said.

Rapacon was not carrying his service firearm during the incident, as the guns of policemen were sealed to prevent indiscriminate firing during the New Year’s Eve revelry, Regua said.

The victim’s wife, Florence rushed to the scene with her pistol when she saw her husband fell, but she was stabbed in the abdomen.

Mrs. Rapacon was rushed to the Metro Vigan Cooperative Hospital where she and her unborn child were declared safe several hours later.

Also brought to the hospital were Rollie and Ronnie Bautista who Mrs. Rapacon managed to hit with her pistol.

Their two brothers are now in police custody.