Police shocked at officer’s involvement in Quezon shootout

Police pass by the bullet-riddled vehicle of suspected criminals along a road in the town of Atimonan in Quezon province, about 140 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines late Sunday Jan. 7, 2013. Philippine army special forces and police killed 13 suspected criminals in a gunbattle Sunday in the latest violence to erupt in the country in the past week. AP/Aaron Favila

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities could not confirm yet if  the police officer killed in a shootout in Atimonan, Quezon Sunday  afternoon was part of  the suspected gun-for hire gang, whose members  were also killed in the encounter.

Chief Superintendent James  Melad, regional police director  in Calabarzon, told  Radyo Inquirer   990AM that  they have no “inkling” yet if  Superintendent Alfredo Perez Consemino was part of  the group killed in the shootout or whether  or not he was involved  in  any criminal activity.

Melad said Consemino was a group director at the Mimaropa regional police.

“Hindi alam ng tropa na nandoon si Consemino. Basta yung  grupo na yan  involved in certain criminal activities, ang sabi pa gun-for-hire,” he said during the  interview.

“Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit nadoon  si Consemino. Doon lang namin nalaman… na si Supt. Consemino pala yun.  Wala pang inkling na sya ay kasama sa grupo,” he further said.

Melad said they have no information yet about the slain   officer but said, “The thing  is, nandoon sya at the time na nagkaroon ng engkwentro.”

He maintained that the suspects were the first to fire at the  law enforcers when they refused to submit to a checkpoint by the  police.

The   police retaliated, killing 13 persons, including Consemino.