CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY –– A suspected drug pusher was killed while two police officers were wounded as gunfight broke out during a buy-bust raid in Opol, Misamis Oriental Friday afternoon.
Major Evan Viñas, city police spokesperson, said the suspect, Maingko Alinog, tried to sell illegal drugs to police operatives who acted as poseur-buyers when the shootout happened around 4 p.m.
At the Vamenta Subdivision in Barra, Alinog positioned himself at the front yard of a fenced house, while waiting for his supposed customers.
Viñas said Alinog fired on the police when they arrived at the site where the transaction was supposed to take place.
“He (Alinog) was crafty. He immediately sensed that those who posed as buyers were police officers. That’s why he took the first shots,” he said.
He said Alinog resisted arrest and fired shots at the police officers, wounding Corporal Reynante Rara in his right hand, and Staff Sergeant Rex Tenio on his left arm.
Both Rara and Tenio are from the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office which took the lead in the operation, backed by Opol town police.
When the arresting team took cover from the hail of fire, Alinog went inside the house, startling the family who was watching television.
“The residents quickly got out of the house while Alinog hid in a narrow hallway. Thankfully he did not hold hostage any of the civilians inside,” Viñas narrated.
Taking cover from the darkness inside the house, the suspect waited for the responding policemen to come in. He then threw a grenade.
After the smoke cleared, a special strike team went in and Alinog fires another series of shots hitting one of the lawmen, Staff Sgt. Homer Rapliza, in the leg.
He said Alinog died from multiple bullet wounds on his stomach and other parts of his body.
The three wounded police officers were immediately brought to the J.R. Borja General Hospital for treatment.
Viñas said Alinog just got out of prison after a plea-bargaining agreement for a drug offense.
Alinog was the suspect in the killing here of a mall worker, identified as John Mark Lagumbay, last Oct. 8 in Barangay Camaman-an./lzb