By A.L. RICALDE and LITO RULONA
Correspondents
POLICE yesterday killed two suspected drug peddlers and motocycle thieves who allegedly tried to fight off law enforcers with a grenade at Xavier Heights in Barangay Balulang, this city, on Wednesday afternoon.
Chief Insp. Joepet Paglinawan, chief of the National Police’s Drug Enforcement Unit here, identified the suspects as Carmelito Salvidas of Lanao del Norte, and Ernesto Bradero of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
Salvidas, believed to be a member of the dreaded Batang Mindanao-29 gang, succumbed to 12 gunshot wounds all over while Sihayon died of five gunshot wounds.
Police said a third suspect, a female who served as a lookout, managed to escape.
Paglinawan said the police were carrying out an entrapment when one of the suspects realized that there were law enforcers and then threw a grenade at them.
“Paglabay niya sa granada, siyempre nibalos og pusil ang mga pulis,” he said.
Paglinawan said the grenade did not go off because the suspect failed to remove the grenade’s safety pin.
“Kalit nila nga gilabay sa granada ang mga pulis sa dihang nakabantay ang mga suspek nga mga pulis ang ilang nabaligyaan sa druga,” he said.
Police seized the grenade, two sachets of suspected shabu, and a motorcycle stolen from one Marjun Saloloy of Baungon, Bukidnon.
“Mangawat sila og motorcycle. Kung dili ibaligya, dalhon sa Lanao maoy i-swap sa shabu,” Paglinawan said.
Police said the suspects were believed to be members of a crime syndicate in Lanao del Norte.
Paglinawan said authorities originally planned to arrest the suspects because of a series of motorcycle thefts but during surveillance operations, they found out that the suspects were into drugs.
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