A leader of an armed group responsible in countless criminal activities in Northern Luzon was cornered and eventually killed during a gunfight in Lubuagan town in Kalinga.
Cordillera Administrative Region (COR) regional police director Chief Supt. Elmo Francisco Sarona identified the dead criminal as Willy Sagasag who is wanted for multiple cases of robbery and murder and has been escaping several dragnets out to capture him.
Running out of luck this time, Monday morning, local police reinforced by elite forces from the regional police office trooped to the hideout of Sagasag in Sitio Malusong in Barangay Canao in Lubuagan town.
“He was cornered during the operation but our troops were met with a volley of gunfire from the group of Sagasag who were positioned in various areas,” said Sarona.
Authorities however lost four of its men during the firefight and were identified as Police Officer 3 Cruzaldo Lawagan, Police Officer 1 Jovenal Aguinaldo, Police Officer 1 Charles Ryan Compas and Police Officer 1 Vincent Tay-od.
Wounded were Senior Inspector Eduardo Lilic, PO1 Ferdie Liwag and PO1 Ferdinand Asuncion.
Chief Insp. Carolina Lacuata, spokesperson of the Cordillera regional police, said Sagasag carries P600,000 reward for any information that could lead to his arrest or neutralization.
Among the charges he is facing are robbery, murder, multiple murder and frustrated murder in various courts in northern Luzon.
“He operates as far as Tuguegarao City. He is wanted here in our region and two other nearby regions,” said Lacuata.
Sarona meanwhile said it was during the clearing operation that police found the cadaver of Sagasag in the clash site.
“There were undetermined number of casualties from his group but they were all able to escape. They are now the subject of our follow-up operations,” said Sarona. (AARON RECUENCO)