By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A man wanted for attempted homicide charges managed to escape while several others were arrested after they allegedly engaged in a gun battle with police, who were attempting to serve the arrest warrant, at Uriarte Subdivision in La Carlota City’s Barangay 3 Poblacion early yesterday morning.

Police identified the wanted man as Archelito Dumip-ig.

The operation to arrest Dumip-ig was conducted jointly by members of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) Regional Intelligence Division, City Intelligence Unit and City Mobile Force Company of the Bacolod City Police Office, the 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the La Carlota City Police Station.

Based on information released by police, Dumip-ig has an existing warrant issued on March 16 this year by Calatrava Municipal Circuit Trial Court Judge Charmain Mascardo for attempted homicide with bail set at P36,000.

As police were closing in, the suspect along with several other individuals opened fire prompting a gun battle.

The police later managed to break into the target house and arrested eight individuals, six of whom were noted to be minors.

The eight arrested individuals have not yet been identified by police as of press time, while a cop, Police Corporal Romel Blanco, suffered a wound on his right hand due to the gun fight.

Dumip-ig, meanwhile, managed to elude the arresting team.

Cops recovered an M1 Garand rifle, a .38 caliber revolver, four rifle grenades, a fragmentation grenade, two sachets of suspected shabu, drug paraphernalia, and several documents.

The police also confirmed that they have also arrested two women, whom they have also not yet identified, in connection to the raid.

The two women, who have originated from Purok Boulevard in Bacolod City’s Barangay 13 and from the town of Don Salvador Benedicto, claimed they were only hired to cook for the occupants of the house which was targeted by police./DGB, WDJ