Cop killed, 2 kidnap witnesses wounded

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—A police officer was killed and two men under the government’s witness protection program were seriously wounded when they were shot by another policeman at a government safehouse in the Tetuan district here Tuesday morning, police said.

Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo, acting Zamboanga City police chief, identified the slain policeman as Police Officer 1 Tomas Dauba, who was detailed to guard Marvin Agullana and Mark Ausley at the Department of Justice safehouse on Unity Drive.

The two witnesses were in critical condition due to bullet wounds in different parts of the body, De Ocampo said.

He said that Agullana and Ausley were preparing for a court hearing when Police Officer 3 Carmelito Macansantos, a member of the city police detailed at the DoJ Western Mindanao office, suddenly arrived on a motorcycle at past 7 a.m.

“Upon entering the safehouse, he approached PO1 Dauba and uttered invectives against him. Dauba was trying to react to the assault but PO3 Macansantos had already drawn his pistol and shot Dauba several times. He also shot the two witnesses,” De Ocampo said.

He said Macansantos immediately fled but has sent surrender feelers.

De Ocampo said they were conducting a deeper investigation of the incident.

Ricardo Cabaron, Zamboanga City prosecutor, declined to make any statement on the shooting, saying he would wait for the results of the police investigation.