Monday, February 19, 2007 2 killed in raid of syndicate hideout By Ben Serrano Caraga Correspondent
CABADBARAN, Agusan del Norte -- Two persons were killed when elements of the Philippine National Police Intelligence and Regional Mobile Group raided the hideout of a syndicate in Barangay Doņa Telesfora Ong Oh, Tubay, Agusan del Norte Sunday.
The syndicate is believed to be responsible for highway robberies and the murder of Tubay, Agusan del Norte Municipal Treasurer Noli Bucong.
At least two persons believed to be members of the Allan Lagangga gang were killed while another one was wounded when they tried to fight it out with the raiding law enforcers.
The two casualties are still unidentified as of Sunday.
Armed with high-powered firearms such as M-16, M-14 armalite rifles, hand grenades and .45 pistols, the remaining suspects were held up inside the house, as negotiations for their surrender were ongoing.
Relatives of the suspects were pleading to the cops to spare their lives.
One still unidentified seriously-wounded suspect was immediately brought to Cabadbaran District Hospital here for treatment.
It will be recalled that Caraga Police Regional Director Antonio Dator Naņas ordered a manhunt against members of the Allan Lagangga Group.
The group is said to be responsible for robbing motorists, passenger buses, and terrorizing small-scale miners in the municipalities of Santiago, Tubay and Barangay Del Pilar, one of the hinterland gold rush areas of this capital town of Agusan del Norte.
But concerned citizens and some worried relatives wondered how and where the local armed group members got its high-powered firearms, which are only possessed by policemen and soldiers.
Unconfirmed reports state that some members of the syndicate were made personal bodyguards by some wealthy concession holders who keep on applying hectares and hectares of land of gold rush areas before the Bureau of Mines and Geo-Sciences.
