THE man who engaged two members of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit (RHPU-10) in a shootout died later Thursday, December 6.
Abdulrahim Adilao was identified as a gun store owner in Marawi City, said Inspector Tawide Galleon, Police Station 4 deputy chief.
The shootout left one officer dead and the other, wounded.
Galleon said Adilao was wounded in the armpit during the armed encounter along Mastersons Avenue, Upper Carmen Thursday and died around 8 p.m. on the same day at a government-run hospital.
Adilao was a native of Mabalacat, Pampanga, but resided in Bellevue Subdivision, Pueblo de Oro, Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.
Galleon said there were reports that his son is a politician in Lanao del Sur.
"Wala pa nato na confirm kung naa ba siya sa narco-list," Galleon said.
One of the victims, Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Sergs de Constantine Macerin died from a gunshot wound to his chest hours after fighting for his life.
His colleague, SPO2 Lyndie Baltazar, is recuperating from a gunshot wound on the shoulder.
Investigation said the two policemen flagged down the suspect’s vehicle after noticing a suspicious license plate when the suspect got out of the driver's seat and fired at them.
Authorities said there were two other men on board the suspect’s vehicle who participated in the brief gunfight, but they reportedly fled.
The suspect's common-law wife identified as Joan Gomez, 30, who disembarked from the car before the encounter was arrested and is now under police custody.
She was brought to the City Prosecutors Office Friday for the inquest proceedings.
'Gi-deny sad sa ka live-in nga ila tong armas (The suspect’s live-in partner denied that they owned the guns)," Galleon said.
Police recovered an M16 rifle; 20 9mm fired cartridges; assorted ammunition and magazines; and documents of the vehicle which was registered to a certain Jose Tolentino of Parañaque City.
"Plano gyud tingali nila kay gipakanaog man nila daan ang babaye ayha sila namusil (They must have planned the gunfight because they let the woman get out of the car before they fired at the police)," Galleon said.
Galleon said the suspects will face murder and frustrated murder charges.
He said there were eyewitnesses in the area and they are also looking for other pieces of evidence, including security camera footage.