'Rogue' cop killed in entrapment operation

A police corporal, who was allegedly involved in the illegal gun trade, was killed in an entrapment operation by members of the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) Southern Luzon Bravo and Daraga policemen’s operatives in Daraga town on Friday.

LtCol. Ronnie Fabia, chief of Daraga town police, said Cpl. Joel Tualla, of Barangay Busak, Libmanan town in Camarines Sur, was involved not only in arms trafficking but also in the illegal drug trade.

“Police Corporal Tualla was assigned [to the] Polangui police station. He was, unfortunately, involved in syndicate gun selling and illegal drug activities,” Fabia said in an interview.

The police report said at about 11:05 a.m. on May 7, authorities conducted an entrapment operation on Tualla at the agreed transaction site along Maharlika Highway in Barangay Bañag, Daraga town in Albay.

Upon arrival at the said place, the operatives strategically positioned themselves together with the police poseur buyer. Subsequently, the suspect arrived and showed to the poseur buyer a cal. 9 mm KG9 submachine gun and .45 cal. pistol, placed inside his brown body bag.

However, the suspect drew his gun after he noticed that the buyer was a police officer and fired at the police operatives.

The arresting team returned fire on the suspect, who sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.