THE Philippine National Police (PNP) headed by General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar on Monday mourned the death of a member of the PNP Special Action Force (PNP SAF) following an encounter with a heavily-armed drug target in Nunungan, Lanao del Norte.

Eleazar described the late Corporal John Oliver Rodriguez as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in his duty to serve and protect the people. “Losing a policeman like Police Corporal Rodriguez is truly a great loss to our organization. We will honor his service and sacrifice by ensuring that his family is well taken care of,” he said.

Eleazar cited two other SAF troopers identified as Corporal Michael Aidan Abella and Patrolman Cris Dolo who were wounded in the same encounter and assured them of full medical and financial assistance.

On Saturday, the PNP-SAF commandos joined operatives of the Nunungan Municipal Police Station, the Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office Drug Enforcement Unit and the Police Regional Office 10 Regional Mobile Force Battalion in serving a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 against suspect Naen Ampatua Tumog in his house in Barangay Rebucon.

The search warrant was issued by Judge Alberto Quinto of the Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte Regional Trial Court Branch 21.

However, the suspect resisted arrest and engaged the officers in a gun battle before he was killed. However, the slain suspect managed to shoot the members of the entering party before he was gunned down.

Eleazar said the suspect yielded an M-16 automatic rifle with several fully-loaded magazines.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon