AUTHORITIES have killed a reserve Army officer suspected of being a member of robbery group Kuratong Baleleng/Dragon group in a police operation at P-9 Carmen Annex village, Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental, on Thursday, April 6.
Police identified the suspect as Army First Lieutenant (Reserve) Anthony Theodore Tamparong of 903rd Community Defense Center, Camp Dominguez, Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental.
Personnel of the Ozamis City Police Station raided the house of Tamparong to serve the search warrant for illegal possession of firearms (Republic Act 10591) issued by executive judge Edmundo Pintac of Regional Trial Court, Branch 15, 10th Judicial Region Ozamis City.
Upon the arrival of the operatives, the suspect ran and retrieved his caliber 45 pistol from his bedroom and fired upon at the arresting team, forcing the police to return fire.
Police said the suspect sustained multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.
Authorities seized from the suspect's possession a caliber 45 pistol with ammunition.
Also recovered from the crime scene were four pieces of empty shells of caliber 9mm, one empty shell of caliber 45; 16 pieces of live ammunition; one M203 grenade/explosive (40mm) practice M781, several IDs, handcuffs, bayonet scabbard, military compass and three boxes containing 150 pieces of empty shells of caliber 45 pistol.
Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO-10), said the police are pursuing other members of the group as part of the anti-criminality campaign.
"Ang Kuratong wala nana karon, ang naa is Dragon group pero mao ang iyang affiliation sa una. Posible naa pa siyay kauban," Gonda said.
Gonda urged suspects not to show violence to avoid bloody operations since the police will always retaliate as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
"Hangyo nato nga during operation ang suspek dili lang mosukol kay mobalos gyud ang police kay mao man order ni President," Gonda added.
Chief Superintendent Agripino Javier, PRO-10 regional director, commended the Ozamis city police for the successful operation.
