2 criminal gang members killed; drug ring member arrested in Camarines Norte

By Connie Calipay

LEGAZPI CITY --- Two alleged members of the notorious Concepcion crime group were killed in a shootout with lawmen Sunday in Sitio Paguringon, Barangay Bariw in Libon town, Albay province.

In a press statement on Wednesday, Lt. Col. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-5 (PRO-5) (Bicol), said police authorities were serving an arrest warrant on Jonathan Rejale when the two suspects fired at lawmen and threw a grenade at them, resulting in a shootout.

She said after the firefight, two gang members were killed while Rejale who has a standing warrant of arrest for murder and another gang member, Jayson Sayson, managed to escape.

The slain gang members were only identified as alias Jerry and alias Papa, police said.

“The operating teams recovered from the crime scene the following items: 12 fired cartridge cases for caliber 5.56mm; two fired cartridge cases for caliber .45; one unit Armscor caliber .45 pistol with Serial No. 1260697 chamber loaded with live ammunition with steel magazine inserted containing four live ammunition; one unit Taurus caliber .45 pistol with Serial No. 728517 chamber loaded with live ammunition with steel magazine inserted containing five live ammunition; and personal belongings of the suspects,” Calubaquib said.

The recovered evidence were placed under the custody of the regional forensic unit for cross-matching and ballistic examination while the hand grenade was placed under the custody of the Albay provincial explosive canine unit.

The suspects’ bodies were brought to Siapno Funeral Home in Libon for post mortem examination.

The Concepcion group was involved in robbery and extortion and gunrunning.

Meanwhile, Police arrested a member of the notorious Gutierrez drug group during an entrapment in Vinzons, Camarines Norte on Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Police Regional Office-Bicol (PRO-5) spokesperson, on Thursday identified the suspect as John Louie Pabico, 28, who is listed as a high-value individual.

Authorities seized from Pabico 50 grams of shabu with a standard drug value of PHP340,000.

The suspect, now under the custody of the Vinzons police, will be charged with the violation of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA)