FIVE people, including four children, were killed by an alleged drug-crazed suspect in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, the police reported Sunday.
The suspect, who escaped from detention, was killed as he attacked one of the policemen in a pursuit operation.
Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, disclosed the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the village of Pulang Lupa, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.
Galvez identified the victims as follows: Saidemar Wahid, 11; Nasser Halis, seven; Mohammad Said Mocaddam, seven; Hadimar Pablo, seven; and, Madjid Halis, 35.
Galvez identified the suspect as Asgal Ontong, 34, who was allegedly high on drugs at the time of the incident.
Galvez said investigation showed the suspect, who was allegedly high on drugs, hacked the victims to death one after the other.
She said except for Wahid, the bodies of the victims were found inside an abandoned house.
She said responding policemen backed by soldiers apprehended the suspect and recovered the bolo he allegedly used in killing the victims.
She said the suspect escaped from detention around 4:30 a.m. Sunday when his handcuff was remove after asking to answer the call of nature.
“The suspect was approaching the comfort room, without hesitation, managed to escape the duty personnel passing through the fence of Sirawai police station and fled to unknown direction,” she said quoting the report from Sirawai police station.
Galvez said the duty personnel alarmed all the Sirawai town policemen, including the military unit, and conducted search and hot pursuit operation.
Galvez said the suspect suddenly surfaced and grabbed to service firearm of one of the police while the lawmen were conducting search around 5:30 a.m., Sunday, April 15, along the swamp area at the Sitio Bunkhouse in the village of Sirawai Proper.
Galvez said this prompted the policemen to open fire, which resulted to the instantaneous death of the suspect. (SunStar Philippines)