by Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City–Three suspects, who were subjects of a warrant of arrest to be served Tuesday morning at Barangay Mahayag in Sta. Margarita, Samar, resisted by shooting it out with law enforcers then fleeing the scene to undetermined direction, leaving behind three policemen killed in the gunbattle.
A report from the Police Regional Office-8 (PRO-8) stated that two units of the Police Mobile Forces were dispatched to the place at around 5 a.m. but when they were about to serve arrest warrants against the suspects—Edito Ampoan, Jojo Altarejos, and Rogelio Macurol, all members of the Ampoan Criminal Group—they were met with gunfires resulting in a fierce shootout that lasted until noontime.
While the gunbattle went on, the government forces deployed to the scene troops reinforcement on a helicopter, but as the firefight subsided, the suspects and their group comrades were found to have escaped and that three police officers were killed on the spot, and four others were wounded in action.
Authorities said the three slain policemen were a master sergeant, a sergeant, and a corporal, while the four wounded were two corporals and two patrolment. Their identities were however not disclosed yet so far for validation.
The police command ordered all municipal police stations of Sta. Margarita on alert status, and conduct checkpoints along possible escape access, while operatives of the 1st Special Police Mobile Forces Company, led by Police/Lt. Col. Seth Mark Alob, were deployed to the scene for reinforcement. Also, troops of the 804th and 805th MCs of the RMFB8 were directed to put up blocking points.
It was learned by the media that many civilians were evacuated from the embattled barangay, and those from Barangay Migara, which was one of the barangays of the adjoining Calbayog City. —Miriam G. Desacada