COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 30 March) – A police corporal suffered gunshot wounds after his team tried to confront several men violating curfew hours and having a noisy videoke spree in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao.
In a phone interview, the wounded Police Corporal Yhamier Kendatu Sablama said the incident took place past 10 p.
m. Saturday in Barangay Damawato.
“While we were about to disembark from the police car, they started stoning us and later they fired their guns.
We fired back also (in defense),” he said.
Sablama said two bullets hit his right shoulder.
The suspects, armed with short and long firearms, immediately fled the house following a short exchange of gun fires, he said.
Aboard the police car were six policemen from the Datu Paglas municipal police station.
He said they just wanted to ask those who were holding the loud videoke activity to stop as the community quarantine and curfew is being implemented amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suspects were identified as Ting, Henry and Gusa, all surnamed Gumama.
It was not yet known why they owned several firearms or what armed group in Maguindanao they belong to.
Maguindanao Police Director Colonel Arnold Santiago said they launched a manhunt against the suspects.