Cops hurt in N. Cotabato raid on suspected motorcycle thieves out of danger
NORTH COTABATO, Philippines — The four police officers wounded in a deadly clash Wednesday morning with suspected motorcycle thieves in Barangay Gokotan in Pikit are now out of danger and recuperating.
Police Lt. Xiart Gatinao, Police Cpl. James Jay Belonio, and Patrolmen Aden Cocal and Christian Carl Ansing were injured when the suspects shot at them
with rifles and an M60 machinegun while police were approaching a yard where authorities later found 442 motorcycles believed to have been stolen.
Five suspects were killed in the ensuing encounter.
"Our four wounded personnel are now out of danger," Police Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, director of the Police Regional Office-12, said.
Police have impounded the motorcycles. "We shall enlist the help of experts in the Land Transportation Office to help us check on each unit based on LTO records," Tagum said.
The police operation in Barangay Gokotan was two-pronged — to search for North Cotabato's most wanted law offender, Joel Manampan, and to validate reports of hundreds of motorcycles being kept in the area.
Manampan is facing a murder case at Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 216 and is wanted by Kidapawan City RTC Branch 17 in Kidapawan City for a separate case.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government had put up a P170,000 bounty for Manampan.
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