2 cops, govt employee killed, 4 others wounded in North Cotabato shooting incident

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 2): 2 cops, govt employee killed, 4 others wounded in North Cotabato shooting incident

A cop and a civilian agent were killed while two other policemen were wounded during the conduct of a pursuit operation against a riding in tandem who shot dead a government employee here and wounded his daughter on Wednesday night.

Sr. Supt. Emmanuel Peralta, North Cotabato police provincial director, identified the slain police personnel as PO1 Jerome Ruefa, 34, of the North Cotabato police intelligence section; and Edlenger Cabalinan, a civilian agent.

The injured cops were identified as PO2 Joselex Avina, 42; and PO1 Anglito Edep, 29; also both of the provincial police intelligence section.

Peralta said his men were chasing the riding in tandem who shot dead Marlon Muyco, an employee of M’lang town government and close aide of Mayor Russel Abonado, around 6p.m. Wednesday along Barangay La Suerte here, when the pursuit ended in Barangay Dolores of adjacent Antipas town.

Aside from Muyco, the riding in tandem also critically wounded the victim’s teenage daughter, Michelle, in the incident.

Muyco and his daughter were riding a motorbike on their way home when overtaken by the killers and pumped bullets at them.

The killers sped off towards the direction of Antipas town where cops gave chase and chanced upon them entering the house of Barangay Dolores Chairman Eugenio Patubo in the area.

Peralta said an exchange of gunfire instantaneously ensued, resulting to the deaths of the two policemen.

When smoke cleared, cops arrested a wounded Romeo Patubo, brother of the village chair and principal suspect in the killing of Muyco.

Also collared inside the house was Mark Patubo, 27, the village chairman’s son.

Recovered from the house were an M16 rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, and .38-caliber revolver.

Police have yet to establish the whereabouts of Eugenio when the shootout took place at his house.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=960387