Fugitive drug suspect killed in bus encounter

A DRUG suspect who allegedly killed and injured Bohol policemen was gunned down in a checkpoint in Guindulman town last Saturday night.

Artemio Tare Jr., 31, died from multiple gunshot wounds in the chest and head, said Senior Insp. Joemar Pomarejos, the town’s police chief.

But before Tare died, he shot and wounded two policemen inside a Southern Star bus that was flagged down in Barangay Tabajan at 9:15 p.m.

A male passenger also sustained bruises in his body after jumping out from the vehicle out of fear amid the gunfire.

The Guindulman Police, led by Pomarejos, was conducting a checkpoint at 9 p.m. as part of Bohol police’s efforts in arresting Tare.

Tare was responsible in attacking a police party in Tagbilaran City last Friday who were checking a pot session, killing an intelligence operative dead and wounding three others.

Pomarejos said they flagged down the Ubay-bound Southern Star bus that had 30 passengers.

PO1 Jeremias Platino and PO1 Joel Bayron went up the bus to check the passengers until they saw a man, seated at the back row and hiding his face with a baseball cap.

They approached the man, clad in hooded jacket and cargo pants, and asked him to remove the cap.

The man, who turned out to be Tare, suddenly pulled his .357 revolver and fired at the policemen.

Platino got shot in the right part of his abdomen while Bayron was hit in the right leg. Despite getting shot, Platino grappled Tare’s firearm.

The suspect ran towards the door of the bus, but was shot by Platino and Bayron in the chest and head.

Tare fell to the ground and was pronounced dead by Dr. Winefredo Liao when brought to the hospital.

Guns, drugs

Platino and Bayron were rushed to Ramiro Hospital in Tagbilaran City and are already out of harm’s way.

Aside from the .357 revolver, police recovered a .45 pistol with seven live ammunitions and a .22 revolver with five live ammunition tucked in Tare’s pants.

Two small packs of suspected shabu were also seized by police from Tare’s possession.

They also found an identification card from Tare that showed he was a police intelligence agent, which Pomarejos believed was fake.

Tare reportedly hid in Baran- gay Concepcion in Loay town with his relatives after attacking the intelligence operatives.

When his body was inspected, he apparently got shot in the knee last Friday and medicated the wound by himself.

Chief Insp. Alvin Futalan, head of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) of the Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO), told Sun.Star Cebu they have now given justice to his personnel.

One of his personnel, PO1 Michael June Ejoc, died when shot by Tare in the head.

Three others—PO3 Judito Jasmin, PO1 Carlito Gamalo and PO1 Reynan Tagotongan—were also wounded.

Futalan said Tagotongan remains confined in the intensive care unit of a community hospital in Bohol. The policeman already underwent an operation, but still in delicate condition.

Futalan revealed the doctor decided not to remove the bullet from Tagotongan’s head because it might cause more damage. Tagotongan will be observed in the ICU for five days.

“Nahatagan na gyud sila ug justice. Maayo kaayo ni silang mga bataa. Mga kugihan baya kaayo ni sa trabaho (They had justice. These are good guys. Very hardworking),” Futalan said.