CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A police corporal assigned as an intelligence operative of the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC) was injured after he was allegedly beaten and stabbed by several individuals during a confrontation under the Ysalina Bridge in Barangay Carmen on Monday night.
The police officer was identified by authorities as Police Corporal Marlon Tulang, a member of the CMFC under the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO). Initial information indicated that Tulang sustained at least five stab or puncture wounds on different parts of his body, including wounds reportedly located on his back that may have been caused by an icepick. He was initially rushed to the JR Borja General Hospital for treatment before being transferred to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC). Initial information from the COCPO indicated that the officer was already in stable condition.
Police immediately responded to the area following the incident and arrested three individuals allegedly involved in the confrontation. Two of those arrested were identified as Sonny Malapad, 29, single and a resident of Zone 5, Barangay Carmen, and his brother Amado Malapad Jr., 38, single and reportedly residing in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. The identity and specific participation of the third individual remained subject to verification and further investigation.
Conflicting accounts being investigated
Investigators from Police Station 4 in Carmen are still working to establish what triggered the confrontation, as accounts from the parties involved differ.
According to Sherry, the mother of the two male suspects, Tulang allegedly went to their residence while wearing civilian clothes. She claimed that the police officer attempted to enter their house, prompting her to block him because, according to her account, he appeared to be intoxicated and did not present a warrant of arrest.
Sherry further alleged that Tulang became angry when she prevented him from entering and that he pulled or dragged her, resulting in injuries to her feet. Her account states that her sons intervened after seeing the confrontation and allegedly struck the police officer before the stabbing occurred.
She also claimed that during the ensuing commotion, Tulang’s firearm was thrown out of a window and into the surrounding residential area. The firearm was reportedly recovered from the rooftop of a nearby house later that evening.
The three suspects, including Sherry, were also reportedly injured during the altercation. Sherry sustained injuries to her foot, while the two male suspects reportedly suffered bruises from the confrontation with the police officer.
Alleged robbery remains unconfirmed
Another allegation being investigated is that Tulang may have been robbed shortly before the stabbing while withdrawing money from an ATM in the vicinity of the incident.
The alleged robbery initially circulated as information surrounding the attack, with reports suggesting that it may have prompted the police officer to follow or pursue the suspects toward their residence.
However, investigators have yet to officially establish whether a robbery actually occurred. Authorities are also verifying reports that Tulang was in the area as part of an intelligence operation, rather than simply making a personal ATM withdrawal.
The conflicting accounts are among the key points being examined by investigators as they reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the stabbing.
SOCO conducts investigation
Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) also conducted an examination of the area to document and gather possible evidence related to the incident.
Investigators are expected to determine the circumstances surrounding Tulang’s presence at the location, the confrontation with Sherry, the subsequent intervention of the two men, and the alleged use of a knife and icepick against the police officer.
The arrests of the three suspects do not, by themselves, establish criminal liability. Their respective roles and possible charges will depend on the evidence gathered during the ongoing investigation.
Police Station 4-Carmen has yet to issue a detailed official statement as investigators continue coordinating with the CMFC and the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office.
Authorities are also expected to verify the circumstances surrounding the recovered firearm, the reported injuries sustained by all parties, and the allegation of robbery as part of the continuing investigation into the Ysalina Bridge incident.