Mayoralty bet arrested in shooting death of cop

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A mayoralty aspirant was arrested and detained along with two other suspects following a shooting that left killed a police officer on Wednesday night in Tampilisan town, Zamboanga del Norte, according to a security official.

 

Chief Supt. Miguel Antonio Jr., Western Mindanao police director, identified the suspect as Alson Chan, a mayoralty candidate under the local party Alliance of Parties for Progress (APP) in Tampilisan town while his two other companions were not immediately identified.

 

Antonio said the slain police officer was identified as Police Sr. Insp. Mirdan Usama, team leader of 1st Maneuvering platoon of the Regional Public Safety Battalion 9 (RPSB).

 

Antonio said the shooting incident happened about 10 p.m. at Barangay Camul while police forces were conducting a security operation.

 

He said police investigation disclosed that Usama and his team were responding to a reported presence of armed men that turned out to be the group of Chan.

 

SPO 1 Nilo Paipa, case investigator, said Usama and his team were approaching when they were fired at by the group of Chan.

 

Paipa said that Usama sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

 

Responding personnel of Tampilisan police led by its acting commander Police Insp. Ronald Allan Tingas extricated Usama and rushed the victim to Sibub County Hospital in Titay town, Zamboanga Sibugay province. Usama, however, died while undergoing treatment for the gunshot wounds.

 

The responding police and military forces arrested Chan and his two companions and recovered seven firearms, including a baby armalite and six .45 caliber pistol.

 

The police said the shooting was not politically related incident.