Six suspected members of a robbery group were killed after they shot it out with the local policemen who hunted them down after they preyed on a group of passing traders in Lal-lo town of Cagayan late Tuesday night.
Senior Supt. Warren Gaspar Tolito, director of Cagayan Provincial Police Office, said one of those killed was Gener Dunag, the leader of the group which has been operating mostly in the second district of Cagayan.
Tolito said the operation of his men stemmed from the complaint of a motorist who witnessed a group of armed men who were robbing the drivers and passengers of three delivery trucks along the national highway of Barangay Bicud in Lal-lo town at around 10 p.m.
The motorist, he said, initially reported the incident to barangay officials, who in turn, reported it to the police.
“Based on the ensuing investigation, it appeared that they flagged down the trucks and robbed the drivers and the passengers, including the local traders who were transporting the goods,” said Tolito.
The official said policemen were immediately deployed in the area. At the same time, other police units were alerted over the possibility of pursuit operations.
When the cops arrived, they saw one of the robbery victims identified as truck driver Ambot Rabago who was shot in the leg by one of the gunmen. The suspects had already left the area.
Tolito said the victims told the responding policemen that the suspects were on board a white van and are all armed.
“Our personnel were warned about this and this was factored in the conduct of checkpoints,” said Tolito.
At around 10:30 p.m., the white van was intercepted in a checkpoint in Barangay Bangag also in Lal-lo town, but the suspects on board reportedly opened fire at the policemen manning the checkpoint.
A shootout occurred and this led to the death of Dunag and five of his men.
Tolito said the sixth suspect identified as 34-year-old Reyes Duyao was able to flee but was arrested later during the pursuit operation.
Seized from the gunmen were several handguns, some P140,000 cash and the cellular phones and other personal belongings they looted from the victims.
Based on the background check, Dunag is a native of Pinukpuk town of Kalinga who married a native of Sanchez Mira town of Cagayan. All the members of the group are natives of Kalinga.
The group is reportedly targeting traders, particularly those transporting goods that pass by Cagayan.
Their latest victim was a certain Gloria Bautista, a businesswoman from Pamplona, Cagayan whom they robbed of P70,000 cash and other gadgets on October 26. (Aaron Recuenco)
