Boratong cop survives ambush

One of 22 policemen tagged by a government witness as protectors of alleged shabu “tiangge” operator Amin Imam Boratong survived an ambush staged by three teenagers in Pasig City yesterday.

Senior Police Officer 2 Ruben Fidelino, assigned at the Caloocan City police, claimed a group wanted him killed on suspicion that he acted as “tipster” on the recent arrest of a number of drug pushers in Pasig City, all identified with Boratong.

“He (Fidelino) told our investigators that his ambushers were Muslim teenagers,” said Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz. De la Cruz said Fidelino survived by engaging the suspects in a shootout.

The EPD director said the attack on Fidelino came as Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr., Pasig City police chief remained clueless on the recent ambush-slaying of PO2 Roland Faraon, another policeman accused as Boratong’s protector.

Fidelino lives in Barangay Sto. Tomas, where the former shabu  flea market was situated. He sustained three gunshot wounds in his abdomen and was rushed to the Rizal Medical Center before his family and relatives decided to transfer him to an undisclosed hospital.

De la Cruz said Fidelino was riding his motorcycle home when a van blocked his path several meters away from the shabu “tiangge” compound along F. Soriano St., at about 9 a.m. yesterday.

Fidelino said three boys, aged between 17 and 19 years, rushed out of the van and immediately opened fire in his direction. Although wounded in the first volley of gunfire, he engaged his attackers in a shootout. De la Cruz said Fidelino was not able to hit his targets and his gun jammed after firing ten shots.

Upon realizing that Fidelino was fighting back, the three suspects boarded the van and escaped. No one was able to jot down the van’s plate number.

Elements of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) raided the shabu “tiangge” on Feb. 10, 2006 and arrested at least 300 people.

Boratong and his second wife, Sheryl Molera have been charged with maintaining a drug den before the Pasig City court. De la Cruz said Fidelino and Faraon are among the 22 former Pasig City policemen tagged by government witness Samer Palao as protectors of Boratong.

The 22 policemen were recently cleared by the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) of the administrative charges filed against them. However, De la Cruz refused to accept them in his command so the 22 policemen were re-assigned to other police districts in Metro Manila. – Non Alquitran