THE top three wanted person in Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur was killed in a shootout while his cohort was arrested in a law enforcement operation, the police reported Saturday, February 20, 2021.
Police Captain Edwin Duco, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the slain wanted person as Montaser Dayan, 35, while his arrested cohort as Rasdi Bairula Hamid, 37.
Duco said the shootout ensued when Dayan and Hamid opened fire upon seeing the arriving joint team of policemen and soldiers, who were on seaborne law enforcement operation by way of service of warrant of arrest around 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the waters of Purok Uno in Picanan village, Kumalarang.
Duco said the two suspects managed to flee towards Purok Dos in the same village amid the shootout as the troops returned fire.
He said the Kumalaran police led by Police Major Gaspar Gadingan recovered Dayan’s remains aboard their motorboat in a follow-up operation around 7 a.m. Friday in Purok Dos.
He said Dayan had a standing warrant of arrest for the crime of murder with no recommended bail issued by the court of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.
The remains of Dayan were turned over to his family for proper burial.
Duco said Hamid was arrested hours later in a pursuit operation in Purok Tres of the same village. Recovered from his possession were an improvised M-203 grenade launcher with three 40-millimter high-explosive ammunition, and a motorboat. (SunStar Zamboanga)