Retired Col. Rolen Balquin of Bacolod City was killed in Cotabato City on Saturday, March 19.
Balquin, who was previously assigned to the Bacolod City and Negros Occidental police, was the Cotabato City public safety office chief at the time of his death.
Balquin was about to alight from a vehicle at about 9 a.m. Saturday, to check on minimum public health protocols in Cotabato City when he was shot by gunmen a onboard a separate vehicle, an initial police report said.
Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, in a Facebook post, condemned the killing of Balquin and vowed to seek justice for him.
“I condemn, to the highest degree of condemnation, the shooting and killing of our City Public Officer Retired Colonel Rolen Balquin”, she said.
She said the incident happened when their Composite Quarantine Team was on their routine rounds of the different establishments in the city to check on their compliance to minimum health protocols.
“Col. Balquin was a courageous person who always stood his ground especially in implementing our laws in the city,” she said.
“We may lay Col. Balquin to rest but we will not rest until you are captured. Tandaan niyo yan (You remember that),” the mayor said in her message to his assailants.*