2 farm workers killed in shootout with cops

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—The serving of a search warrant by the police on Friday in Murcia town, Negros Occidental led to a bloody confrontation that left two suspects dead and one policeman wounded.
Policemen from the Public Safety Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office went to a calamansi plantation in Barangay (village) Alegria, Murcia on Friday morning to serve a search warrant issued by Judge Raymond Joseph Javier of the Regional Trial Court.
Supt. Frederick Mead, team leader of the group, said they were fired upon when they entered the plantation.
PO1 Robert John Arciaga was hit and wounded in the right arm.
A firefight ensued that led to the death of Angelique Tayos, 21, of Zamboanga Sibugay, and a man identified only as Toto, who were both workers and watchmen of Harold Valenciano, owner of the hacienda.
A certain Estoy, who was reported to be the companion of the two slain suspects, managed to escape.
A .45 caliber pistol and a homemade 12 gauge homemade shotgun with ammunition were recovered from the house of Valenciano, who was the subject of a search warrant.
A caliber 22 Black Widow magnum revolver with four ammunition, a 12 gauge homemade shotgun and an improvised caliber 22 revolver, were also recovered from the slain suspects.
Prior to the raid, there were reports of indiscriminate firing at the calamansi plantation and the shooting of a certain De los Santos, which prompted the police to apply for a search warrant.
Antonio Tayos, father of Angelique, said he and his son arrived at the calamansi farm on Aug. 14, after being employed by Valenciano, who had bought a farm in Murcia./rga