5 VAN TRUCK HIJACKERS KILLED IN POLICE HOT PURSUIT OPERATION

Camp Major Bado Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet- (June 30, 2021) –  Cordillera cops were able to stop five men who attempted to escape police operatives using a hijacked isuzu aluminum Wing Van truck and a SUV Chevrolet without plate number at Taloy Sur Proper, Marcos Highway, Tuba, Benguet, early this morning, June 30, 2021.

Citing reports submitted to the Regional Director, PBGEN RONALD OLIVER LEE,  operatives of La Trinidad MPS, immediately alarmed nearby police stations to conduct dragnet operation,  after receiving information about five armed men disguised with police uniform who stolen a van truck.

Further, initial reports disclosed that one of the suspect aka “Nick” rented the van truck and  agreed to meet with the driver aka “Ali” at the parking area in SWAMP, Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet. Upon lending the vehicle,  “Ali” was forced to hand over the van  truck and drive the suspects away so they can pass by the checkpoints without being noticed.

Upon reaching the dark portion of Longlong Road, La Trinidad, Benguet, the suspects dropped the driver and left. “Ali” immediately seek for help and called his wife to reported the incident at La Trinidad MPS.

Acting upon the received information, the Highway Patrol Group Special Operation Division Task Force  Limbas (HPG-SOD TF);  Regional Highway Patrol Group Cordillera (RHPG-COR) and Tuba MPS launched a hot pursuit operation to apprehend the suspects.

The suspects were about to escape when operatives caught them at Taloy Sur, Marcos Highway. They were asked to stop, however, they speed up their vehicle and fired upon the operatives,  this prompted operatives to fire back that resulted to the immediate death of all the suspects.

This pertains to the alleged Hijacking that resulted to the death of Five suspects after they chose to shoot it out with responding PNP personnel. Personnel from Benguet SOCO led by PLTCOL Maria Elvira Bautista arrived AA 4:20 AM of June 30, 2021, and processed the crime scene, and gathered the following data:           

Suspect 1: wearing a pink T-shirt and light blue maong pants lying on his back at the rear of the Isuzu Aluminum Wing Van along the road shoulder of Baguio bound lane  Recovered at his right side was a black Cal. 45 pistol Para Ordnance w/ serial# 53437 inserted with 1 magazine w/ 3 live ammo chambered w/ 1 ammo.

Suspect 2: wearing an orange T-shirt and maong pants lying on his back in front of the Isuzu Aluminum Wing Van truck. Recovered at his right side is a Cal. 45 pistol Para Ordnance black w/ serial# 34379 inserted w/ magazine w/ 3 live ammo chambered w/ 1 ammo and 1 black holster inserted on his waist.

 Suspect 3: wearing PNP GOA B uniform and black leather shoes lying on his back at the Baguio bound lane road shoulder, a meter away from the Chevrolet SUV. Recovered on his right side is a Cal. 45 pistol Colt w/ serial# 34379 inserted w/ one (1) magazine w/ 3 live ammo, chambered w/ 1 ammo. A black pouch recovered from his left back pocket containing a PNP ID card w/ the name PCMS Marvin A. Aquino, 2 pcs 20-peso bills, and 1 pc 50-peso bill. 

Suspect 4: wearing a PNP Athletic T-shirt and commo green pants and black leather shoes lying face down on the road shoulder at the left side of the Chevrolet SUV. Recovered on his left side is a Colt modified 9MM rifle w/o serial no., inserted w/ 1 magazine w/ 2 live ammo, chambered w/ 1 ammo, and a small yellow pouch from his front pocket containing a PNP ID card w/ the name PSMS Cesar Alpha Blomes, Philhealth ID card with the name David Dasala Rapal, 18 pcs 1-peso coins, 2 pcs 20-peso bills, 2 pcs 5 peso coins and 1 ten-peso coin.

Suspect 5: wearing a red T-shirt and gray short pants and black slipper lying face down at the road shoulder after the Chevrolet SUV. Recovered on his left side is Cal. 45 Colt w/ serial no. 53437 inserted w/ 1 magazine w/ 4 live ammo. and jammed bullet on its chamber and a black wallet recovered from his right pocket containing an NBI ID card named Leovin S. Sondagon, and a black holster and coin.

The SOCO processing ended at about 09:50 AM on June 30, 2021. Verification on the different ID cards is ongoing. The cadavers of the suspects were brought to Damayan Funeral homes, Marcos Highway, Baguio City for autopsy. The vehicles involved were under the custody of RHPU-COR for macro etching while all recovered pieces of evidence are under the custody of Benguet PCLO. (PROCOR-PIO)