Map of Davao City. GOOGLE MAPS
DAVAO CITY – Authorities recovered bomb components from a still unidentified armed man, who was shot dead after engaging policemen in a shootout in Magtuod in Barangay Ma-a here early morning Tuesday.
Senior Insp. Ma. Teresita Gaspan, the city police spokesperson, said two men riding in tandem were initially chased by policemen, who were responding to a report about the presence of suspicious individuals in Bangkal in Talomo district at about 3 a.m.
She said the two men drove towards Magtuod during the chase.
“Upon reaching the area, (one of the) suspects disembarked from the motorcycle that was flagged down by operating personnel. He pulled a firearm and fired at the operatives prompting the (police) to shoot back,” Gaspan said.
She said the armed suspect was killed while the other man managed to evade authorities.
Gaspan said that apart from the firearms, also recovered from the slain suspect was a 60-millimeter mortar shell, a detonation cord and two blasting caps.
Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum, the city police director, said they were still uncertain about the affiliation of the suspect and his companion.
The incident happened as authorities here were on heightened alert due to successive attacks by communist rebels on the outskirts of the city the past weeks.
Mayor Sara Duterte condemned the attacks and branded the NPA as a terror group.
The latest of the attacks were carried out by the New People’s Army against companies owned by the family of former Agriculture secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. CBB