WITH the intensified drive of police against robbers and thieves in the city resulting to several fatalities, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that she will look into the record of police operations amid apprehensions from the public.
This came after the series of police operations against robbers where authorities were forced to shoot them for resisting arrest.
“To allay the question about police operation nga dunay mamatay nga suspects (where there were fatalities), I will ask the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Tagum kung pila ka operations ang gibuhat and out of those operations pila ka buok ang operations ang namatyan (on how many operations they have conducted and how many were killed out of those operations),” she said.
She will also check the accomplishment of DCPO on the anti-illegal drugs operations.
“So that makita nato kung unsa kadaghan ang gibuhat nga operation pila pod ang namatay sa operations (We will see how many operations were done and how many died during operations),” she said.
Duterte-Carpio said that police officers were forced to retaliate target suspects after they pose resistance similar to a police operative who sustained a gunshot wound during a drug bust.
The injured policeman was identified as Police Officer Masher Basirul who received an award “Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting” given by Chief PNP Director Gneral Oscar Albayalde.
“Apilon nalang pod to natong operations nga naigo ang police or naay nasamdan ang civilian during the operation. Then we will know kung sa tanan operation ba namatay ba gyud ang suspect (We will include those operations where there were injured policemen and civilians during the operation. We will know which operations have casualties),” she added.
Earlier, the DCPO launched several operations in line with their campaign dubbed as Oplan: R.A.T. Tugis (acronym for robbery/hold-up, akyat bahay and theft).
“This intensified focused police operations is in line with the vision of DCPO to make the City the most dangerous place for criminals and terrorists but the most peaceful place for its residents. They are warned,” DCPO director Police Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum.
In the recent RAT operation, authorities served a warrant of arrest against an armed and dangerous robbery/hold-up suspect identified as Cristian Lois Aguelo Gabrillo, 24, a resident of Purok 7, Sta. Catalina, Brgy. Lapu-Lapu, Jerome, Davao City.
The arresting team introduced themselves as police officers then the suspect suddenly pulled out a 22 caliber firearm from his waist and aimed at the operating team. But before the suspect could squeeze the trigger, an operative was forced to shoot the suspect first. Gabrillo succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.