By AARON RECUENCO
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The founder and leader of the KAPA Community Ministry International wanted for a multi-million investment scam was arrested while two of his bodyguards were killed during a police raid in an isolated island in Sitio Dahican, Barangay Handamayan of Linging town in Surigao del Sur on Tuesday morning.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa said Jose Apolinario, who victimized a number of Visayas and Mindanao residents, was nabbed after more than six months of manhunt.
Gamboa said Apolinario’s armed bodyguards engaged the raiding team in a gunfight.
Two of the 21 bodyguards were killed while the rest were collared during the firefight.
“Our men in CARAGA region have been monitoring the whereabouts of the suspect and his armed men since January this year,” said Gamboa,
Brig. Gen. Joselito Esquivel, CARAGA regional police commander, said they immediately planned the operation after confirming the presence of Apolinario in the isolated island.
Armed with an arrest warrant against Apolinario in connection with the alleged investment scam, police forces went to the area but were reportedly met with gunfire.
Apolinario’s bodyguards, however, were forced to surrender after the gun battle.
Esquivel said another bodyguard of Apolinario was wounded and was taken to a hospital in Bislig City.
Seized from them were 30 units of M16 rifles, two M4 rifles, a Garand rifle, three 60 caliber Machine Gun, a 50 caliber sniper rifle, a carbine, a shotgun, two rocket-propelled grenade, five .45-caliber pistols, and several bullets.
Apolinario went into hiding last year after President Duterte tagged him as involved in a scam. A case of syndicated estafa was leveled against him.
Apolinario repeatedly denied that he was using the religious sect that he founded to earn money by allegedly duping his members to invest money over a promise of huge return of investments.
