MANILA, Philippines - Two intelligence operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency were killed while two others were hurt after they were attacked by still unidentified gunmen in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao 5 a.m. yesterday morning.
Those killed were identified as Intelligence Officer 2 (IO2) Pablo June Jala and a confidential agent identified only as Tho.
Those wounded were IO3 Brian Babang and IO1 Mark Anthony Viray who are now undergoing treatment at a hospital in Cotabato City where attending doctors have pronounced them to be in stable condition.
They were ambushed as they were on their way to serve a warrant of arrest against one Piad Buaya Abdula, alias Piad, along the vicinity of Simuay town.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the slain PDEA-ARMM agents were killed right inside their vehicle.
Ponce said the other PDEA-ARMM agents inside the vehicle managed to return fire and engaged the gunmen in a 20-minute gunbattle.
Jala is a member of PDEA Academy’s Unang Sinag Class of 2006-01, the first batch of agents who were recruited and trained through the support of the P1 billion anti-graft fund administered by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC).
Babang is a member of Philippine Military Academy Class 2001 while Viray belongs to PDEA Academy Masidlak Class 2008-03.
PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago said the agency is now in mourning and has flown its colors on half mast in salute of those killed and hurt in the ambush.
The agents were allegedly attacked while operating in a critical area that is under the influence of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
“We will make sure that their sacrifices were not in vain. Close coordination is now being undertaken with counterparts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to determine the possible links of our targets with the MILF,” Santiago said.
Pursuit operations are now being carried out by combined elements of PDEA’s Task Group in Central Mindanao in team up with military and police counterparts.
“This is a clear indicator that the war on illegal drugs has just been elevated to the next level. Our sustained efforts are creating an impact on the activities of drug syndicates, thus they are now resorting to violence in retaliation for their losses,” Santiago, condemning the incident, said. – With John Unson