Police chief of Bohol town dies in ambush; 6 suspects killed in follow-up operation

A police chief of a town in Bohol was gunned down in an ambush Saturday night, but police killed at least six of the suspects - one of whom was linked to the drug trade - in a firefight Sunday.

The assailants shot Chief Inspector George Caña, head of the police in Ubay town, while he was aboard a vehicle in Barangay Balintawak in Talibon town, past 7 p.m.

Caña was rushed to the Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital in Talibon town but was declared dead on arrival.

Police said the slain police chief had been a nemesis of drug dealers in his turf.

Meanwhile, GMA Cebu cited a police report indicating at least six suspects, one of them a former policeman, were killed in an encounter with local police on Sunday morning. The report said the police operation took place at Aplaya Beach in Barangay Puerto San Pedro in Bien Unido town.

The report said that among those killed was a certain Owen Rosales, said to be a former police officer. Four others were arrested in the operation, it added.

Seized during the operation were an M-16 rifle, two assault rifles, two cal-.45 pistols, a 9mm pistol, a cal-.38 revolver, a hand grenade, a Nissan Urvan, and a Honda Civic.

Also recovered were a Honda XRM motorcycle and an undetermined amount of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu). — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News