Boljoon Shootout: Police chief wounded, 2 gang members dead

Sitio Latawan barangay, Nalhub of Dalaguete. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The chief of police of Boljoon town was hurt while two alleged members of a criminal gang whom authorities missed in last Saturday’s massive raid were killed in a shootout yesterday in a follow-up operation by the police.

SPO3 Rogelio Gorrez Fernandez, deputy police chief of Boljoon, said they were informed that Arnel Coronel, John Michael Mejares, a certain Poloy and his 15-year-old son – all members of the Gañolon-Salonoy-Coronel group whose leaders were killed in a shootout in a mountain barangay of Dalaguete – were spotted in their town.

Coronel and Mejares attended a fiesta in barangay San Antonio, Boljoon last Friday, the reason why they were not around when the police raided their lair early Saturday morning.

A seven-member Boljoon police team was heading uphill to the house of a former barangay councilman of San Antonio, where the suspects were staying, when they encountered the four suspects who were on their way downhill.

The police and the armed group were some 10 meters away from each other, navigating a curve covered with tall grass.

“Padung nami sa balay nga ilang gi-istaran. Pero nagtagbo man mi sa kalibunan nga likoonon. Nagdungan gyud mig kita sa usag-usa. Mura silag mga sundalo pud nga nagbitbit sa ilang armas, ready na kaayo to fire,” he said.

(We were on our way to the house where they were staying. But we met each other along the way. The two groups saw each other at the same time. They looked like soldiers ready to fire.)

EXCHANGE FIRE

“Poloy” escaped during the exchange of gunfire, the teenager was captured, while Coronel and Mejares were dead on the spot.

The 15-year-old is said to be a nephew of Coronel and is with the police, who intends to turn him over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Insp. Dexter Basirgo, Boljoon police chief, was rushed to the Chong Hua Hospital with gunshot wounds in his shoulder and stomach.

Recovered from Coronel were two caliber .45 pistols while three revolvers and a grenade were taken from Mejares.

The police still checked the former councilman’s house where the suspects stayed but it was already abandoned.

Last Saturday morning, three were killed and seven others were arrested in separate raids in Dalaguete, Alcoy and Boljoon.

Police said the criminal group was involved in illegal drugs, robbery, rape, killings and cattle rustling in the mountain barangays.