Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa ordered on Monday a manhunt against the two suspects involved in the fatal shooting of a police officer in Cainta, Rizal.
PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao said Cainta Deputy Police Chief Sr. Insp. Jimmy Senosin was killed after a shootout during a follow-up operation along Wesbank Road in Barangay San Andres.
“Because of this incident, the Chief PNP [Dela Rosa] has ordered the manhunt against the suspects responsible for the death of P/Sr. Insp. Jimmy Senosin, and assured the bereaved family that justice will be served,” Bulalacao said in a press briefing in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
READ: Cainta police deputy chief killed in anti-drug ops
Dela Rosa also advised law enforcers to be careful and vigilant in conducting anti-illegal drug operations.
“He also cautioned our police operatives to be more careful and vigilant in conducting police operations especially against illegal drugs suspects,” Bulalacao said.
Bulalacao said the police were tracking down a certain alias “Ruben Tae” and a certain alias “Ekis,” who engaged Senosin and two other policemen in a gun fight around 7 p.m. Sunday night.
Senosin was shot in the head and died around 2 a.m. Monday at the Pasig City General Hospital.
Bulalacao said that the police team responded from a call from a concerned citizen that Ruben Tae was roaming around Block 3 Lakas Bisig Floodway with a gun tucked in his waist.
When Senosin and his team arrived in the area, Ruben Tae tried to run away together with Ekis.
The suspects were said to be armed with a submachine gun and a .45 caliber gun.
The policemen then gave a chase as the suspects shot at them. The wild chase then led them to a dimly-lit alley with the police asking them to surrender but the men instead hurled a grenade at the responding policemen.
“Pagdapa nitong mga pulis, nung na-sense nila na cleared na at nakatakbo na ‘yung hinahawi nila, hindi na tumayo si Sr. Insp. Senosin. ‘Yun pala may tama na sa ulo,” Bulalacao said.
(When the police got down, when they sensed that the area was already clear, and the ones they were chasing had already ran away, Sr. Insp. Senosin did not get up; they then discovered that he was hit in the head.)
Senosin’s team immediately asked for assistance from the police station and rushed him to the hospital, Bulalacao added.
Policemen later scoured through the area and found out that the nearby house where the incident happened was a suspected drug den, Bulalacao said.
“Natagpuan nila ‘yung bahay mismo kung saan nangyari ‘yung insidente, nandun ‘yung dalawang nagre-repack ng shabu,” he said.
The policemen then arrested a certain Ronaldo Idolog and Jophine Lachica.
According to the spot report of the incident, the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) recovered the following from the crime scene: one piece MK2 Fragmentation grenade, one piece necklace, two live ammunition, nine fired cartridge cases, four improvised tooter, one piece lighter, two heat-sealed plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected as shabu. /kga