Monday, January 31, 2005
8 'kidnappers' nabbed after 5-hour gunfight
MANILA -- Eight alleged members of a notorious kidnap-for-ransom gang, among them a woman, were arrested following a five-hour encounter with policemen in San Pascual, Batangas Sunday dawn.
Arrested were Edgar Allen Alvarez, the alleged leader of the kidnap group, and his members Marlon Recio, 47, of Los Banos, Laguna; Rossel Salas, 20, of Binan, Laguna; Melvin Quijano, 18, of Bolbok, Batangas City; brothers Rodel, 26, and Delmar Caballero, 18, both of Kumintang Ibaba, Batangas City; Casimiro Madrona, 32, of San Pascual, Batangas; and Rose Magingin, 24, of Marikina City.
In a report he submitted to Camp Crame, Police Regional Office 4 Director Oscar Calderon said the encounter happened at 3 a.m. in Barangay Poblacion, San Pascual.
The composite team from the Batangas Police Provincial Office, Philippine National Police (PNP)-Special Action Force, and Traffic Management Group was about to arrest Alvarez in the area when he and his men resisted.
Alvarez is wanted for a string of kidnapping cases. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier offered a reward of P800,000 for his arrest.
In the gunfight that lasted for five hours, six policemen--Chief Insp. Jonathan Calixto, SPO1 Justine Escabarte, PO3 Manuel Abalos, PO3 Leo Fajardo, PO3 Arturo Patulot, and PO2 Ronald Torres--were wounded. The kidnap gang members surrendered after the shootout.
The wounded policemen were brought to St. Patrick's Hospital in Batangas City for shrapnel wounds they sustained from a grenade thrown by the suspects. They were however declared out of danger.
Recovered from Alvarez's group were one cal. 30 Hbar weapon, one 66mm Light Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW), one M14 and M16 rifle, one cal. 30 US Carbine, one cal. 22 rifle, four cal. 45 pistols, one hand grenade pin, assorted spare clips and ammunitions, a set of military camouflage uniform, a Nissan Sentra car bearing plate URF-514, a Mitsubishi Delica van with plate RAA-239, and a Yamaha 125cc Enduro motorbike (PN-7860). (JFF)
(January 31, 2005 issue)
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