TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Five persons including a top most wanted person in the national level facing various heinous crimes, were killed while three policemen were injured during a 5-mminute gun battle between the wanted person and law enforcers who served his warrant of arrest in his residence at Lausong, Canao, Lubuagan town, Tuesday morning.
Senior Superintendent Brent Majaco, provincial director of the Kalinga Provincial Police Office, identified the fatalities as PO3 Cruzaldo Lawagan, PO1 Jovenal Manadao Aguinaldo, PO1 Charles Ryan Dongui-is Compas, PO1 Vincent Tay-od, all of Kalinga and Willy Sagasag, the subject of the warrant of arrest with a monetary reward of P600,000 for his arrest while the wounded policemen were Senior Inspector Eduardo Liclic, PO1 Ferdie Liwag and PO1 Ferdinand Asuncion.
The operating troops were supposed to serve the warrant of arrest of Sagasag whose group was cornered in the crime scene when they were met by a volley of gun fire from the armed men that inflicted the causalities and injuries to the victims.
Majaco claimed that after the brief gun fight, Sagasag’s lifeless body was recovered from the encounter site while still undetermined members of his armed group who were wounded during the encounter were able to escape from the pursuing policemen.
Sagasag is facing murder, frustrated murder, robbery with intimidation and violence issued by various courts in the region and nearby regions in Northern Luzon.
Recovered by the police operatives from Sgasag were 36 pcs of 5.56 mm Cartridge cases while one M16, 1 black rig, one long plastic magazine, 3 short and 3 long metal magazines, and 127 rounds of live ammunition for M16.
The injured policemen were immediately brought by their colleagues to the various hospitals in Kalinga for medication while hot pursuit operation is being done against Sagasag’s colleagues who were able to escape from the crime scene.
By Dexter A. See
