POLICE arrested on Monday, June 18, the two suspects in the killing of Mallig, Isabela chief of police Michael Angelo Tubana.
Warren Bulawit, 19, and another suspect, name withheld for being a minor, were arrested during a hot pursuit operation at around 10 a.m. on June 18 in Tabuk City, Kalinga.
Police Regional Office 2 director Chief Superintendent Jose Mario Espino said the suspects were positively identified by the witnesses.
Tubana was shot dead while conducting a drug bust in Barangay Centro 1 in Mallig along with Police Officer 2 Edwin Gumpal and two police assets.
Espino said Tubana was shot by the suspects, who must have sensed that they were dealing with the police.
Tubana was rushed to Yumena’s Hospital in Roxas, Isabela but was declared dead while undergoing treatment.
Espino and Isabela Provincial director Senior Superintendent Mariano Rodriguez condole the bereaved family of the killed police officer.
“To the men and women of the Isabela PPO, we salute the gallantry of Senior Inspector Tubana, chief of police, Mallig police station who is always ready in the call of duty and is known to be always being very supportive and present as frontline in the conduct of Mallig police station police operations specially in the said buy-bust operations. The Isabela PPO family deeply sympathizes with the bereaved family,” said Rodriguez. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)