CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A retired police officer is now the subject of a manhunt after allegedly shooting his own brother dead during a heated dispute over land in Barangay Tablon, this city, on Tuesday, February 3.
Police identified the suspect as Retired Police Major Eddie Acut, a former station commander of Police Station 10 (PS10) in Cugman. The victim was identified as his brother, Henry Acut, who was declared dead after sustaining gunshot wounds.
According to initial police reports, the incident occurred in Purok 2, Barangay Tablon, where the two brothers reportedly engaged in a verbal altercation that escalated into violence. Investigators said the argument stemmed from a long-standing land dispute, which authorities are now treating as the primary motive behind the shooting.
Police Major Jason Felisilda of PS10 Cugman confirmed that witnesses in the area heard at least four gunshots during the incident. A 9mm caliber firearm was allegedly used in the attack.
After the shooting, the suspect immediately fled the scene onboard his vehicle, prompting authorities to launch a hot pursuit operation to locate and arrest him.
The killing has sent shockwaves through the local community, particularly because the suspect is a former senior police officer who once held a key leadership post in the city’s police force.
Authorities are urging the suspect to surrender peacefully and are appealing to anyone with information on his whereabouts to coordinate with the nearest police station.
An in-depth investigation is ongoing as police work to recover the firearm used and to formally file appropriate criminal charges once the suspect is apprehended.