AN ALLEGED gun-for-hire was killed in a gunfight that broke out during a law enforcement operation in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, police reported Sunday, February 28, 2021.

Police Captain Edwin Duco, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the slain suspect as Samsudin Tantong Manlay, 35, who was also the top 1 drug personality in Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur.

Duco said the gunfight broke out after Manlay opened fire upon seeing the arriving police around 1:15 p.m. Saturday in Purok 1 in Nian village, Dinas.

Duco said the policemen retaliated, which resulted in the untimely death of Manlay, who was the subject of the law enforcement operation by way of service of search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

He said the policemen recovered from Manlay a caliber .45 pistol with seven rounds ammunition, a fragmentation grenade and other pieces of evidences. (SunStar Zamboanga)