Danao police beef up security after strafing

CEBU, Philippines - Security at the Danao City Police Station has been beefed up following a strafing incident Friday after the brother of suspected drug lord Alvaro Alvaro alias Barok and his cohort were killed in an anti-drug operation.

The Cebu Provincial Police Office yesterday deployed 20 personnel to augment the city's existing police force.

Danao City police chief Senior Inspector Alejandro Batobalonos said they already have the identity of the two armed persons responsible for the strafing of the police station.    

Batobalonos, however, refused to divulge the names because of the ongoing hot pursuit operation.

"We are after them. We learned that they were not in Danao City but in neighboring towns," he said.

The police official said a criminal complaint for direct assault will be filed before the prosecutor's office against the suspects.

Aside from the augmentation force, the city's police force has also set up checkpoints and placed "no entry" sign on the road leading to the police station as part of the security measures.

Two people have sprayed bullets on the police station at 2:25 a.m. on Friday. Except for the shattered jalousie blades of the police station, no police officer was injured.

 The police have retrieved at least 21 slugs of 9mm rounds from the walls of the station.

Few hours before the incident, the city police operatives conducted a buy-bust operation against Medz Alvaro in Sitio Pulangyuta, Barangay Looc, Danao City.

Medz and his cohort, Ronnie Castro alias Moning, were killed during the operation after they allegedly shoot it out with the operatives.

Batobalonos claimed that Medz's mother, Emma, went to the police station after the operation and threatened to get even with them. Not long after Emma's threat, the strafing incident occurred.  Batobalonos said they will be filing a complaint for grave threats against Emma on Monday.  (FREEMAN)