Leader of robbery group slain in South Cotabato

POLOMOLOK, South Cotabato–An alleged leader of an armed group engaged in highway robbery was killed here after he resisted arrest, the police said Wednesday.

Chief Inspector Aldrin Gonzales, the spokesperson of the Central Mindanao Police Office, said Benzaid Nilong had engaged policemen in a shoot out, along with four other suspects.

He described Nilong as the supposed leader of an armed group operating in Barangay Bentung Sulit here.

Senior Supt. Franklin Alvero, the South Cotabato police director, said police operatives received intelligence information about a supposed plot of Nilong’s group to conduct robbery along portions of the Koronadal-Gen. Santos City highway.

Around 8:40 p.m. on Tuesday, he said elements of the Polomolok police conducted a preventive patrol in Barangay Pagalunan.

Alvero said policemen headed by Polomolok police chief, Chief Inspector Alex Joe Orcadada spotted five men on two motorbikes and flagged them down.

The men stopped, but as law enforcers were approaching them, they were fired upon.

“The suspects fired at our personnel using M-16 rifle cal. 45 pistols as they sped off, triggering a running gun battle,” Gonzales said.

Nilong died from injuries in his back but his companions managed to flee, according to Alvero.

Recovered from the area was a .45 caliber pistol, fired cartridges, a rifle grenade, and mobile phones. /lb