TWO barangay tanods and a woman died during the service of a search warrant in the mountain barangay of Lusaran, Cebu City past 1 a.m. of Friday, Feb. 22.

Barangay tanods Renato Goc-ong and Reynaldo Laguna allegedly refused to surrender and instead engaged members of the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC) in a shootout.

Goc-ong’s wife Emma was hit in the exchange and died.

Chief Insp. Chuck Barandog, the CMFC commander, said they initiated the raid after receiving reports that the tanods owned unlicensed firearms and were carrying them around in public.

Arriving at Goc-ong’s house, the CMFC team was met by Emma who opened the door and asked whom they were looking for. Her husband, they answered.

Emma hurriedly closed the door, Barandog said.

Believing the subjects of the search warrant had escaped, the team barged inside the house.

PO3 Pacheco Pulgo got hit on the right side of his body after one of tanods shot him at close range, Barandog said.

Pulgo thought the slug tore through his vest.

The other policemen fired back and hit the two tanods and Emma.

After killing their targets, the police found the bodies of Laguna, Goc-ong and Emma. Emma was embracing her husband.

Pulgo was rushed to a private hospital in Mandaue City.

Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma said Pulgo would have died had he not worn the bulletproof vest.

She said she had received reports that some barangay tanods in Lusaran carried their firearms in public. The tanods were identified as goons and they were used during elections.

The unlicensed firearms seized from Laguna and Goc-ong were possibly made in Danao City, according to Garma. (from AYB of Superbalita Cebu, KAL)