By CALVIN CORDOVA
CEBU CITY – Seven alleged members of a notorious armed group were killed in a shootout with police Wednesday afternoon in Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.
Senior Supt. Lemuel Obon, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said the slain suspects were members of a group responsible for a series of killings in Lapu-Lapu City. “They were involved in gun-for-hire and illegal drug activities,” said Obon.
Police identified the fatalities as Abundio de la Torre Jr., Allan de la Torre, Mohaimen Conda Mauyag, Shainoden Dimasimpan, Manuel Pepito, a certain “Jovan,” and a certain “Mantak.”
The seven men were residents of Sitio St. Michael, Barangay Pajac.
Obon said Dimasimpan and Mantak were identified by a witness as the one who shot and killed Indiana Aerospace University student Kristian Saldavia last Sept. 19 in Barangay Pajac.
“Last Sept. 26, there were three murders that happened and the suspects were members of the group,” said Obon.
Around 3 p.m. last Wednesday, operatives of the City Intelligence Branch went to St. Michael after receiving reports that the suspects were in the area.
“While the police were approaching a house believed to be the hideout of the suspects, shots were fired. Shots were coming from different areas. It was a close-quarter battle and there was even a running gun battle since one of the suspects tried to escape,” said Obon.
Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, chief of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas, said it was a legitimate operation.
“The suspects fired the first shots and our police just retaliated. Luckily, our police are well-equipped. No one was injured from the side of the police because they were wearing vests,” Sinas said. “We are open to any investigation. As a matter of procedure, the Lapu-Lapu police is investigating the incident and the PRO 7 will have its own probe,” added Sinas.
Obon said seized during the operation were three .45-caliber pistols, one .357-caliber revolver, one 9mm pistol, one .38-caliber revolver, and 13 packs of suspected shabu.
Obon said the police are still hunting the remaining members of the group. “They have 17 members and we are still looking for the other members, including the leader,” Obon said.
The members of the group are known toughies in the sitio, according to Obon. “We had sent assets to the area but we had a hard time gathering information about this group because when there are strangers going to the sitio, they frisked them and check their identities. We were even told that they challenged the police to arrest them, they were ready to fight back,” Obon said.
After the incident, operatives of Special Weapons and Tactics were deployed in the area. “They will be there 24/7. We have to strengthen our police presence in the area. We sympathize with the relatives of those who were killed but some barangay captains and Muslim organizations were happy with the result because this group is very notorious. They were involved in snatching, thefts and other petty crimes that have happened in the area,” Sinas said.
