POLICE killed on Wednesday a kidnapping suspect and his cohort in a gunfight in Botolan, Zambales, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Debold Sinas said on Thursday, February 18, 2021.

Michael Corpuz and an unidentified cohort were killed after engaging personnel of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group in a firefight at around 11:20 p.m. on February 17 in Sitio Alao, Barangay San Juan.

The AKG personnel were there to serve arrest warrants against Corpuz, their most wanted person, for three counts of kidnapping for ransom, two counts of child abuse and carnapping.

“Acting on intelligence reports of sighting of the suspect in the area, (the) AKG agents launched an operation to serve a warrant of arrest against Corpuz. However, as the operatives approached, the suspects opened fire triggering a shootout,” said Sinas.

Recovered from the scene were M16 rifles and two handguns as well as sachet of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).

Sinas said Corpuz was a member of Mokong kidnapping-for-ransom group led by Ryan Bon dela Cruz, which is engaged in kidnapping, illegal drugs trade, robbery hold-up and carnapping activities in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces.

The group made it to the headlines after they posed as agents of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and conducted a raid in Taguig City on February 4, 2018.

The group robbed and abducted three persons, including two minors, during their fake operation. (SunStar Philippines)