Nartatez orders probe on veteran officer’s death inside PRO-11 compound

Davao City -- Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered a thorough investigation after a senior police official was found dead inside his quarters at the regional headquarters Monday morning.

The body of Lt. Col. Deozar Almasa was discovered at Camp Sgt. Quintin M. Merecido in Barangay Buhangin just hours before Nartatez was scheduled to arrive for an official command visit.

Almasa, a veteran officer and former police chief of Bansalan and Digos City, was assigned to the Police Regional Office 11 (PRO-11) logistics unit.

According to initial reports, camp personnel attempted to contact Almasa around 6:45 a.m. to ask him to move his parked vehicle.

When he did not respond, an officer from an adjacent unit forcibly opened the quarters and found Almasa seated on a plastic chair, bloodied, with his service firearm nearby. He was pronounced dead at Southern Philippines Medical Center at 7:26 a.m.

“The incident is currently being looked into by the proper authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the death,” PRO-11 said in a statement. Investigators are examining all angles, including potential foul play, accidental discharge, or suicide.

Nartatez, who learned of the death upon his arrival in Davao, led a moment of silence for the officer. He directed regional investigators to ensure a transparent probe and the preservation of all evidence.

In a separate development during his visit, Nartatez expressed optimism regarding the investigation into the November killing of Oscar “Dodong” Bucol Jr., a barangay captain in Digos City.

He directed PRO-11 Director Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete to exhaust all measures to solve the murder of Bucol, who was fatally shot while livestreaming on 25 November 2025.

Regional officials urged the public to refrain from speculation regarding Almasa’s death while forensic examinations are ongoing.