By LEILA VICENTE
ABS-CBN Zamboanga
Zamboanga City -- Navy officials on Sunday denied that navy officers killed a fisherman in an encounter in Tumalutab Island in the city Tuesday night.
Village officials in Barangay Taluksangay reported a resident was killed in an encounter allegedly with Navy personnel in Tumalutab Island in the city Tuesday night.
The 42-year-old victim, identified as Hussin Hamay, sustained two gun shot wounds.
However, the naval commander of the combined forces in Western Mindanao, Rear Admiral Emilio Marayag Jr., strongly denied they had an encounter in the said island.
Marayag said his troops was having an anti-piracy operation east of Manalipa Island, still in Zamboanga City, 17 kilometers away from the island where Hamay was shot.
Marayag admitted the navy troops fired a warning shot but said it was impossible that the bullet reached the area where Hamay was reportedly fishing.
Some fishermen, however, alleged it was the Navy trooper who shot the victim.
With these allegations Marayag urged relatives of the victim and witnesses to submit a formal complain in his office.
He said he will not tolerate such acts from his men if indeed they shot the fishermen.
Meanwhile, during the Navy's anti piracy operations 10 bancas were seized.
Marayag also explained the navy only held the 18 fishermen for few hours for questioning and were later released.
The anti-piracy operations of the navy are aimed in preventing sea piracy and robbery. Similar operations are also being conducted in other parts of region nine.
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