By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA

Two men allegedly involved in the shooting of intelligence operatives from Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) were arrested along Alijis Road in Bacolod City’s Barangay Singcang Airport.

Police identified the suspects as 29-year-old “Bern,” a resident of Negros Occidental’s Don Salvador Benedicto, and 28-year-old “Rom,” from Purok Jalandon in the city’s Barangay 2.

Police Lt. Colonel Joem Malong, Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) public information office chief, said the police operatives were conducting intelligence monitoring when they noticed the two onboard a motorcycle tailing their vehicle along Singcang Airport’s Magsaysay Avenue on Wednesday, June 3.

Upon reaching the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s gate, one of the suspects allegedly alighted from the motorcycle and opened fire at the police operatives.

One of the operatives also returned fire using his issued firearm, prompting the suspects to flee from the scene, Malong added.

The incident triggered an immediate hot pursuit, resulting in the arrest of the suspects near Maranatha School along Alijis Road.

Recovered from “Rom” were one .45 caliber pistol loaded with one live ammunition in the chamber and a magazine containing five live rounds.

Police also found four plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, a motorcycle unit, and a cellphone unit from “Bern.”

The suspects are detained at the custodial facility of Police Station 8./MAP, WDJ