Father, son die in shootout with cops in T'boli, South Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY - A father and son tandem in T'boli, South Cotabato, believed to be engaged in illegal drug trade, traded shots with lawmen Saturday dawn and ended up dead, police said.Police also arrested three other men during the early Saturday morning shootout inT'boli, South Cotabato, according toChief Insp. Jose Marie Simangan, T'boli police chief.He identified the victims asNelson Bobong” Sollera, 38 and his son Jethro, 19, a student of Southern Institute of Technical Education, Incorporatedin Koronadal City.Simangan said the T'boli PNP and PNP Regional Public Safety Battalion 4th maneuver company were to serve an arrest warrant against the Solleros. The warrant was issued by a local court for the victim's alleged involvement in illegal drug business.Simangan said as the lawmen were approaching the Sollero's home at 4 a.m., they were met by a series of gunfire, triggering a shootout.Two policemen were wounded.They wereidentified as Police Officer 1 Chrysler Jimenez, 29, of theRegional Police Safety Battalion (RPSB) 4th Manuever Company based in nearby Surallah, South Cotabato andPolice Officer 2 Leodegario Turbolento of Tboli PNP. Arrested wereNelson Sollera, Neri Tuan Sollera and Melchor Fiel, all residents ofPurok Blancia, Poblacion, Tboli, the slain victims' relatives. sand//scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12190009_855787101194767_5722423811505436009_n.jpg?oh=d8ae7e7da1a3b7f388f689295692847bandampoe=56BCD489 (L to R)Melchor Fiel, Nelson Bobong Solera Jr, Neri Tuan Sollera, were arrested after the shootout.The raiding team seized 27 sachets of suspected shabu,two 12 gauge shot guns, three hand grenades, a cal. 45 pistol, a cal. 38 revolver, ammunition, digital weighing scale, P1,843 cash and other shabu paraphernalia.