ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two policemen were wounded when an unidentified gunman rescued two drug suspects arrested in an anti-drug operation in this City, a top police official disclosed Thursday.
Police Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Police Regional Office-9 (RPO-9) director, disclosed that the incident happened around 4:47 a.m. Thursday in front of the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) along Dr. Evangelista Street, Barangay Sta. Catalina, this city.
Ylagan identified the victim policemen as Police Staff Sergeant Bobby Judan and Police Corporal Nicolo Leon Luna III, both of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-9 (RDEU-9).
Ylagan said that prior to the incident, the RDEU-9 operatives have arrested Jonar Jul-Asri, 25, and his younger brother, Moner, 24, in an anti-drug operation around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday in Barangay Zambowood, this city.
He also noted that seized from the two brothers were six packs of suspected shabu and 34 pieces of P1,000 boodle money topped with P1,000 genuine bill as marked money.
The RDEU-9 operatives brought the two arrested suspects to the government-owned ZCMC for medico-legal examination.
Ylagan also mentioned that a lone unidentified gunman appeared and opened fire as the RDEU-9 operatives together with the two arrested suspects were about to board a vehicle and leave the hospital.
Investigation is ongoing to identify the gunman while manhunt was launched to re-arrest the two drug suspects. The two policemen were hospitalized, Ylagan said. – Nikolai Gonzalo
