COTABATO CITY — A 47-year-old suspect resisting arrest was killed after hurting a cop in a shootout during a pre-dawn law enforcement operation in Matalam, North Cotabato Friday.
Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, director for Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen), said the police were to serving a search warrant against Jessie Catayna of Sitio Bliss, Barangay Manubuan, Matalam, but he resisted and opened fire on law enforcers, triggering a brief firefight.
Rasco said Police Officer 2 Joey Quicoy, a member of the Matalam municipal police office, was injured on the right shoulder and buttocks while his colleagues incapacitated Catayna when they returned fire.
“With their lives at risk, the raiding team fired back, hitting the suspect in return,” he said in a report.
Quicoy was rushed to the Matalam Midway Hospital and was later transferred to the Kidapawan Medical Specialist Center in Kidapawan City for treatment. Catayna, on the other hand, was declared dead on arrival at the Babol Medical Hospital in Matalam town.
Rasco said the police were armed with a search warrant for violation of Republic Act No. 10591 (Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition) issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 16 Judge Alandrex Betoya during the 1:30 a.m. operation.
Seized from Catayna’s house were a .45-caliber pistol with ammunition, a hand grenade, and two small packets of suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride).
The recovered items were submitted to the North Cotabato provincial police office in Kidapawan City for proper disposition. (Noel Punzalan with reports from Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
