Mother of PNP officer slain by cop slams police director

For failure to arrest suspect 

By Nelson Bolos

TARLAC CITY -- “Pangako na napako ni general Diaz.”

             So said the mother of the murdered young police officer whose cop-killer was promised to be arrested by police region 6 director Chief Supt Bernardo Diaz. 

Insp. Christian Lee Pineda Nelmida, 24, was shot at close range on his chest with a shot gun inside Camp Tirador, Janiuay, Iloilo, allegedly by SPO1 Arnold Lizada.

His mother, Anita, said that during Nelmida’s wake in Iloilo, Diaz personally promised her to arrest Lizada before the young officer is buried.

“Pinapangako ko na mahuhuli naming si Lizada bago mailibing si Lee (Nelmida)”, Anita quoted Diaz as saying.

Nelmida, who belongs to the Philippine National Police Academy batch 2013, was laid to rest at the Garden of the Ascension here Jan. 17 but Lizada remained at large.

“Nasaan ang hustisya sa brutal napagpatay sa aming anak?Bakit hanggang ngayon hindi pa nahuhuli ang pulis na pumatay?” said Anita.

Nelmida’s family hails from this city but is assigned at the Iloilo Police Provincial office as head of the Camp Tirador-based 2nd Maneuver Platoon of the Iloilo Provincial Public Safety Battalion.

 “Ayon sa aming source,  itinatago ng isang retired police general saLambunao (Iloilo) siLizada. Bakitwalangmagawaang PNP PRO6,?” said Nelmida’s mother. 

A police officer who requested his name withheld revealed that Nelmida’s cold-blooded killing was drug related.

 “Ang alam namin may nahuling big time pusher si Lee (Nelmida) napinapaki-usap ni Lizada. Perohindiniya pinagbigyan si Lizada, kaya ng makakuha siya (Lizada) ng tiyempo binaril niya si Lee”, said the source.

Apparently, Nelmida was about to eat dinner inside the mess hall of the police camp when Lizada came and shot him once on his chest with a shot gun in the presence of other policemen.

Police investigators are still probing how the police-gunman escaped from the camp after shooting Nelmida.

The police camp gate is around 300 hundred meters from the mess hall where Nelmida was gunned down.

For his part, Nelmida’s father, Joselito, who is also a retired senior inspector, revealed that they are yet to be furnished a copy of the police spot report on the brutal killing of the young PNP officer.

Posted on the internet were alleged criminal activities of Lizada including his purported killing of an innocent civilian.

Lizada was charged with murder and is the subject of police manhunt.