A rookie police officer was killed while three other policemen were wounded when they tried to swoop down on a suspected drug den in Tagbilaran City, Bohol yesterday morning.
Killed on the spot was PO1 Michael June Ejoc, who was shot in the head, said Supt. Paul Labra II, chief of the intelligence division of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas.
Wounded were PO2 Judito Jasmin, PO1 Rinan Tagotongan and PO1 Carlito Gamalo.
The policemen are from the Provincial Intelligence Branch and Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force of the Bohol Provincial Police Office.
According to Chief Insp. George Vale, chief of the Tagbilaran City Police Office, the policemen rushed to sitio Ubos, barangay Poblacion after receiving a report that a group of people were using illegal drugs in a house.
Vale said Ejoc tried to open the door but failed.
A woman, identified as Belinda Tecorero who was inside the house, told the policeman to let her open the door since it would be hard to open it from outside.
Ejoc forcibly opened the door and when he did, a man, who was later identified as Arpenio Tari, started firing a gun.
Tari then fled on a motorcycle, while police arrested Tecorero.
Vale said Tari had just been released from jail for drug charges.
Recovered from the house were four sachets suspected to contain shabu, drug-sniffing paraphernalia and two magazines loaded with .45 cal. rounds
Labra reminded policemen to be on alert in anti-drug operations and must anticipate that their subjects are armed.
The incident happened a week after Romulo Caño was killed in an encounter with operatives of the Regional Special Operation group barangay Achille in Ubay town, Bohol.
Caño was allegedly involved in selling drugs and had a hand in the killing of Chief Insp. George Caña, then chief of the Ubay police. /With reports from Chito Aragon