CAMP BGEN OSCAR M FLORENDO – Five members of a group allegedly engaged in kidnap-for-ransom and robbery/hold-up activities were killed in a shootout with combined elements of Region 1 police, Presidential Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER), Regional Intelligence Office 1 (RIO1), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-NCR) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at about 12:30 AM today (July 29) along Lucao Dawel Diversion Road in Dagupan City.
PCSupt Ramon V. Gatan, PRO1 Regional Director, identified the fatalities as Elisco Emuslan, 34, resident of San Andres Bukid, Manila; Jesus Matienzo Jr., 40, of Masbate, Masbate; Joey Tindugan, 34, of Mlang, North Cotabato; Glenn Ares, 32, of Caalibangbangan, Cabanatuan City; and Edgardo Estrella, 39, a resident of Bagong Barrio in Caloocan City.
In his report, Pangasinan Provincial Director PSSupt Percival Barba disclosed that prior to the incident the Dagupan City Police Station received information that a kidnap-for-ransom gang will kidnap an unidentified person somewhere in Dagupan City or in the adjacent towns. The suspects were later spotted by a Dagupan mobile patrol unit (MPU) on board a white KIA KC2700 van without plate number, along Bonuan Binloc area. The van was earlier reported to have been stolen the previous day (July 28) while parked in front of a restaurant in A.B. Fernandez East, Dagupan City.
Barba reported that when about to be accosted by the police officers of the MPU, the van sped off, prompting the lawmen to give chase. Cornered at the place of the incident, the suspects fired at the lawmen. The law enforcers fired back, and the ensuing shootout resulted in the wounding of the suspects.
The five injured suspects were rushed by the responding Dagupan City Emergency Medical Team to the Region 1 Medical Hospital in Arellano District, Dagupan City, but all of them were declared dead on arrival (DOA) by the attending physician.
Initial investigation revealed that the fatalities were armed with different types of handguns, and that four of them have in their possession AFP identification cards. The authenticity of the ID’s is now the subject of verification by the police.
Gatan commended the operatives for their swift and coordinated action that led to the neutralization of the suspects, urging them to remain focused and committed in the performance of their mandated duties.
“The sustained implementation of our integrated campaign plans has brought PRO1 a number of major accomplishments. Let us continue the good work in partnership with the community,” Gatan said.
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