Police intel chief dies in attack by ex-soldiers in Laguna

SAN PEDRO CITY-The head of the police intelligence unit in Alaminos town in Laguna province was killed in an attack by former soldiers on Sunday afternoon, the town’s police chief said on Monday.

Senior Insp. Jollymar Seloterio, Alaminos police chief, said Police Officer 3 Eduardo Cruz died in what he described as an “encounter” that took place at 5 p.m. in Barangay (village) Poblacion 1.

Seloterio said Cruz and his team were on a surveillance mission in Poblacion 1 onboard a Mitsubishi Adventure when the suspects, onboard another Mitsubishi Adventure (plate VDV 283), cut their path.

Seloterio said three men, armed with M16 rifles, fired at the policemen’s vehicle before fleeing toward Barangay San Andres where the local police maintained an outpost.

“They were flagged down but instead fired at the police base,” Seloterio said in a telephone interview.

The encounter resulted in the wounding and the arrest of two of the three suspects identified as Carliester Catangungal, 32, from Pangasinan province, and Jonald Luna Luna, 29, from Basilan province.

The third suspect, Jim Noel Opena, escaped.

Seloterio said the suspects were former members of the Philippine Marines. He said Luna also claimed to be a security aide of a local politician who the police did not name. RJLA/rga