Superintendent Raul Bargamento, PDEA-Region 4 director, identified the slain civilian agent as Gypson de la Rosa, 36; and the three wounded as SPO2 Jerry Abalos, SPO1 Jesus Platon, and PO3 Ronald Valdez.
Two suspects, said to belong to a drug syndicate operating in Cavite and nearby provinces, were arrested. They were identified as Almario Narvaez, 53, and Rolando Lavarez, 43.
The syndicate’s leaders — Luisito Sarno, Lydia Alindog, and Myrna Camaysa — are now being hunted.
Reports said the shootout erupted after a drug buy-bust jointly carried out by the PDEA-Calabarazon and the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Task Force in Narvaez’s home in Barangay Anabu-2E, Imus town.
The anti-narcotics agents were about to leave the place, after confiscating at least 100 grams of shabu worth about P300,000, when the suspects’ four cohorts fired at them, hitting De la Rosa and the three policemen.
Police seized a US Browning caliber 30 machine gun, a shotgun, a caliber 30 Carbine, grenades, gun scopes and hundreds of assorted ammunition. — Ed Amoroso, Arnell Ozaeta