LEGAZPI CITY –– A leader of a gun-for-hire group and his companion were killed in a shootout on Wednesday morning with police operatives, while another was arrested in a remote village in Labo town in Camarines Norte province, a police report said.
Major Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol police spokesperson, identified the slain gang leader as Jonel Alcanzo of the Alcanzo crime group and Joseph Piad, alias Bukol/Bokel, a member of the crime group who had alleged links with the New People’s Army in the province.
Another alleged gang member, Nicolas Placio alias “Olay,” was arrested in a separate police sting in the same village. Placio was caught in possession of a .38-caliber pistol with five bullets.
Police operatives were about to serve a warrant for the arrest of Alcanzo at his residence in Barangay Anamean at dawn on Wednesday when fired upon by Piad, the report said.
Piad and Alcanzo were killed in the ensuing firefight, it added.
One of the police officers was hit on the chest but survived because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, according to Calubaquib.
Recovered from the crime scene were a .45-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber gun, a 22-caliber handgun, carbine rifle, an MK2 hand grenade, and a bandolier with assorted M16 magazines with ammunition.