ILOILO City – An 18-year-old man got injured when motorcycle-riding suspects and police officers manning a checkpoint engaged in a gunfight in Barangay San Lucas, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.
Resident Emmanuel Badilis was standing outside a computer shop along the road where the checkpoint was located when he got shot on the waist around 8:50 p.m. on Feb. 19.
Badilis was brought to the Barotac Viejo District Hospital where he received treatment.
Municipal police head Chief Inspector Joven Arevalo said his men flagged down the two suspects but the latter ignored them.
The back rider then pulled out a gun and started firing at the police officers, added Arevalo.
The police officers retaliated and tried to catch the suspects but failed.
“The suspects refused to stop because they were armed and maybe they have illegal drugs. They saw us holding a checkpoint,” Arevalo said.
It was not immediately clear who had shot Badilis, according to the town police chief.
The police have yet to identify the suspects who fled to nearby Banate town after the shootout.
“Our police personnel were lucky that they were not hit when one of the suspects fired. The suspect really aimed his gun at our personnel, but they missed because they were moving during that time,” Arevalo said.
Regional police director Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao has directed the Barotac Viejo police to exert extra efforts in identifying the suspects./PN
