SEVEN suspected gang members of a robbery group operating in Southern Luzon were killed on Monday in a shootout with policemen in Batangas, the Philippine National Police reported.
The identities of the suspects were still being ascertained, but police said they could be members of the “Baklas Bubong” robbery group that has victimized mostly feed mills, according to Batangas Provincial Police Office director Senior Supt. Edqin Quilates.
Quilates said the suspects were killed during a shootout with policemen at around 4:45 a.m. in Barangay Banyaga, Agoncillo, Batangas. The policemen also recovered five firearms from the slain robbers.
“From the looks of it, they are not from Batangas,” said Quilates, referring to the suspects, who have victimized a number of establishments in the province, the latest of which was a feed mill and a minimart in Taysan, Batangas, on February 23.
“At the minimart, we were able to get a copy of the CCTV footage, and they were onboard a white Toyota Hi-Ace. The plate number was also taken. Their vehicle has a distinctive feature, and so it was flashed to all police units,” he added.
The vehicle, with plate number TIH-344, reappeared in the town of Laurel, also in Batangas, by ignoring a police checkpoint and sped toward Agoncillo, which prompted Quilates to alert the town’s policemen who put up a checkpoint.
The suspects also breached through the checkpoint, triggering a chase, and the suspects shot it out with their pursuers. Another team of policemen, however, managed to intercept them, and that resulted in a shootout.
Meanwhile, policemen recovered blocks of cocaine along the shorelines of Purok Talisay, Barangay Santiago, Caraga, Davao Oriental, on Sunday following a report from a resident.
Reports received by Camp Crame said that four “bundles” of cocaine, three of which containing 10 packs of the illegal drug, were fished out at past 1 p.m.
Based on the report, Emelio Bantayan, councilman of Barangay Santiago, called the Caraga police, informing them about the drugs that were found at around 11 a.m. by a resident who was swimming in the waters of Purok Talisay.
The Caraga police, which conducted an inventory of the recovered drugs, said at least 36 packs of cocaine were taken.
“Initial investigation conducted disclosed that the found four bundles, three of which contained 10 packs per bundle, while the other one bundle, which was already opened, contained only six packs with a total of 36 packs of suspected cocaine,” the Caraga police said.