Cop gunned down in South Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY – Unidentified gunmen shot dead a police officer on Sunday night in Tupi, South Cotabato, the third policeman killed in Region 12 this month.

Chief Insp. Lemuel Clarete, Tupi town police chief, said Police Officer 1 Archilles Tablazon, 39, assigned with Police Regional Office in Gen. Santos City, was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital here.

Clarete said Tablazon, previously assigned with the intelligence division of South Cotabato police office here, had just alighted from his pick-up truck in front of his home in Barangay Palian to pick his mobile phone when attacked by his assailants.

One of the two men aboard a motorcycle riding opened fire on Tablazon, hitting him in various parts of his body.

Relatives rushed the victim to Allah Valley Hospital in Koronadal City but he expired along the way.

Police recovered four empty shells purportedly from a cal. 45 pistol at the crime scene.

To recall, PO1 Rommel Barcellano, intelligence officer of South Cotabato police office, was killed during anti-drug operations here last September 1.

On September 13, Sr. Police Officer 1 Jovette Galan of Mlang police office in Mlang, North Cotabato was killed in Barangay Lika.

During follow up operations, police arrested six suspects. One of them admitted involvement and revealed the identity of the gunman. /kga