SUBIC BAY FREEPORT -- Two police officers of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority's (SBMA) Law Enforcement Department (LED) died Monday after Buluan Vice Mayor Datu Ishmael "Toto" Mangudadatu's former bodyguard shot them.
A source identified the victims as Cerifino Abadia, 60, and SPO4 Delphin Orinez, who is a bodyguard of SBMA Director Jobo Magsaysay. Both died at the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital due to the bullet wounds in the chest.
Olongapo City Police Office Director Senior Superintendent Oscar Albayalde identified the suspect as a certain Mohamedin Panegas Ali, 39, a resident of Poblacion, Buluan, Maguindanao.
SBMA LED Manager Retired General Orlando Maddela Jr. said the shooting incident happened around 4:45 p.m. inside the LED headquarters.
Madella confirmed that Ali was a bodyguard of Vice Mayor Mangudadatu and was a former Special Action Force (SAF) member based here in Subic.
Madella said Ali was first reported missing by two of his companions, which were also Mangudadatu’s bodyguards.
He said PO3 Nasser Dilangalen and Faustino Bernil came to the LED office early morning last Monday to report that Ali was missing.
"Nakita pa nga daw ng ilang LED officer si Vice Mayor Mangudadatu nung ni-report nila na nawawala si Ali, naka-sakay siya sa sasakyan," Madella said.
Ali was located later in the afternoon at the Subic Bay Gateway Park by a certain Christian Montoya, an administration staff of a company in the area.
Madella explained that Ali feared for his life but could not explain the reason for this.
"Tinatanong ko siya, very cooperative naman siya, pinagkape ko pa nga siya eh. He requested that he be transferred at the SAF headquarter so I coordinated with the SAF here." Madella added.
"Pero nung dumating na yung mga SAF sa office at ila-logout na siya, ayun bigla na lang hinablot yung clutch bag niya at nag simula nang mag-paputok," he added.
Madella was just inside his office next door when Ali allegedly started shooting.
He added that if not for Edwin Nopal and Rexie Alinea of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) branch, who were inside the room with Ali, it would have been a different story.
"Buti na lang at nadakma ng 'bearhug' ni officer Nopal si Ali pero nakabaril pa rin siya kasi malaking tao eh. Di naman mabaril ni officer Alinea dahil hawak nga ni Nopal si Ali," Maddela explained.
Ali managed to fire six rounds with his .45 Caliber before it jammed.
The two victims were outside the room, one bullet went trough a wall and hit Abadia. The other one that went through the open door hit Orinez, Madella explained.
Orinez was at the LED office to visit Madella.
SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, meanwhile, said he has instructed Deputy Administrator for Administration Robert Martinez to provide assistance to the victims.
"It is a sad day for SBMA. Two of our members died. But it is part of the hazards that our law enforcers face everyday to protect and perform their duties." Arreza said. (Anthony Bayrong)