Village chief, 2 others killed in Zamboanga del Sur police operations

PAGADIAN CITY — A village chief and two others were killed in a police operation in Baluno village, Dimataling town, Zamboanga del Sur at dawn on Monday.

Provincial Director Police Colonel Redentor Retusto said police were serving search warrants at the house of village chief Napoleon Casocot and a certain Elmer Tambus when the latter engaged the operating team in a gunfight, killing the two.

But another casualty, Jeffrey Tulba, w was not included in the search warrant. He was was reportedly only in the vicinity of Casocot’s residence to attend a wake.

An earlier police report said Tulba had survived a shooting incident that killed his companion, Joel Gallego, on April 7 in Poblacion , Margosatubig town.

Motorcycle-riding gunmen reportedly fired on them, killing Gallego and wounding Tulba’s right arm.

Residents said Tulba was attending Gallego’s vigil near Casocot’s residence when the police operation happened. /ee