‘Hired gun,’ cop killed in Navotas encounter

MANILA, Philippines—The suspected leader of a gun-for-hire group was killed in a police operation that also left one officer dead in Navotas City early Saturday.

Another policeman was wounded in the shootout between suspect Raymond Mangali and teams from the Northern Police District (NPD) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

CIDG spokesperson Chief Insp. Elizabeth Jasmin described Mangali as the leader of the group of contract killers based in Tanza, Navotas, with two standing warrants for his arrest on murder charges.

The suspect was also No. 3 on the NPD’s list of most wanted persons, as he had been linked to the killing of a labor lawyer and two Malabon policemen, Jasmin added.

A team of NPD and CIDG members tried to arrest Mangali at his house in Tanza around 3:30 a.m., but the suspect resisted and fired at them. In the ensuing exchange, two CIDG members were hit and later brought to Manila Central University Hospital.

SPO4 Hector Laceda was declared dead on arrival while SPO1 Juan Fernando was in stable condition at press time. CIDG chief Director Benjamin Magalong later visited Fernando at the hospital to award him a medal for being wounded in action.

Three firearms—a .45-cal. pistol, a carbine rifle and a .22-cal. rifle—were recovered from the slain suspect, Jasmin said.

Saturday’s operation in Navotas was headed by Supt. Danny Macrin under Task Force Pivot, a PNP-CIDG campaign targeting high-profile criminals. Erika Sauler