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BY CYRUS GARDE
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BACOLOD City – A barangay kagawad in Bago City, Negros Occidental died in a shootout with police officers out to catch a drug suspect here.
Rodolfo Gayagas Jr. of Barangay Bacong-Montilla, Bago City was felled by a gunshot wound on the head.
Gayagas tried to throw a grenade at police officers out to serve an arrest warrant to the 66-year-old Jaime Benares at the Rosario Heights Subdivision in Barangay Taculing on Tuesday, police claimed.
Benares was with Gayagas and four others at the time: Gayagas’ cousin Federico Jr., barangay captain of Bacong-Montilla, Bago City; Samson Gonzaga and John Rey Abong, both of Bago City; and Reynante Bermias of Barangay Handumanan here.
Police arrested Benares and Bermias. The other three were wounded.
Federico was rushed to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center for the treatment of his gunshot wound on the shoulder.
Abong and Gonzaga, on the other hand, were taken to the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (Riverside Medical Center).
After his treatment, Abong was detained along with Benares and Bermias in the lockup cell of the Bacolod City Police Office’s Police Station 6.
Benares, also known as “Toto” and “Morito,” was a resident of Benares Compound in Barangay Alijis here.
He was the subject of an arrest warrant for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 issued by Judge Therese Blance Bolunia of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 47 in Bacolod City.
Around 4 p.m., the Police Station 6 was informed Benares was at the vicinity of the Rosario Heights Subdivision and heavily armed, according to the police station head, Chief Inspector Jovil Sedel.
Officers headed to the area and saw Benares on board a gray Isuzu Crosswind along with the other five, exiting the subdivision.
The police blocked their way but heard a gunshot that prompted them to shoot, Sedel claimed.
Rodolfo Gayagas Jr. alighted from the Crosswind wielding a hand grenade, forcing the officers to fire at him, said Sedel.
Along with the grenade, police recovered from the sport utility vehicle five sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated worth of P30,000, two shotguns and ammunition, and a loaded .45 pistol.
Superintendent David Cachumbo, Bago City police chief, said Federico Gayagas Jr. was identified as a “user” in their watch list of drug personalities.
Police are preparing charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act against the men.
No one from the arresting officers was wounded./PN
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