BACNOTAN, La Union – The most notorious illegal drug personality in the Ilocos Region was killed when he allegedly tried to grab the gun of one of his police escorts after asking a cop to remove his handcuff so he could urinate while on their way along the national highway in Barangay Guinabang here last Monday night.
Chief Inspector Reynaldo Soria, the town’s police chief, identified the victim as Salvador Marzan Jr, alias Amang, a resident of Barangay Leones West in Tubao, and the number one in the list of high- value targets in the anti-illegal drug campaign in the region.
Marzan was arrested by joint police operatives on Monday morning in Barangay San Jose, in Sudipen town for murder charges and was being brought to the police headquarters in Camp Diego Silang, San Fernando City.
Marzan’s warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Romeo Atillo of the Regional Trail Court Branch 31 in Agoo town.
Soria said that while Marzan and the arresting team were on their way to the Camp, the latter allegedly informed his security escort about the call of nature. He was allowed to do so at the road shoulder but allegedly requested for the removal of his handcuff.
However, upon removal of the handcuff, he allegedly grabbed the gun of one of the policemen, but was shot by one of them.
Marzan sustained several gunshot wounds and was rushed to the Bacnotan District Hospital for medical treatment, but was declared dead on arrival.
Earlier in the morning before his arrest, a search warrant issued by Judge Bona Avena-Aruta of the Third Municipal Trial Court of Tubao, was served by Tubao policemen in his house, where they recovered a cal .45 handgun and various ammunition.
It was not clear how the police tracked down Marzan from Tubao, an inland town to the east, to Sudipen, the northernmost town of the province in the west.
Marzan surrendered to authorities during the implementation of Oplan Tokhang, but went hiding and did not undergo rehabilitation being implemented by local government units for drug surrenderers. JUN ELIAS, WILLIAM GARCIA and ERWIN BELLO/NPN-northboundasia.com