Cainta’s ‘Highway Boys’ leader nabbed

SAN PEDRO CITY — The police on Friday arrested the alleged leader of “Highway Boys,” a “notorious” robbery, drug, and gun-for-hire syndicate in Cainta town in Rizal province.

Lt. Col. Alvin Consolacion, Cainta police chief, said they arrested Rolando “Barry” Mercado Jr.,43,  in a buy-bust operation around 2 a.m. Friday in the suspect’s home in Barangay (village) San Andres.  Also arrested was Mercado’s live-in partner, Jayramie Legaspi, 29.

The police said they recovered 20 sachets of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) from Mercado’s home.

Mercado was allegedly the leader of “Highway Boys” that operated in Rizal and eastern parts of Metro Manila. The police have long been running after the group which was also allegedly behind the grisly murders of pouring concrete in an attempt to hide its victims’ bodies.

In December, the police encountered the group in Cainta where Richard Santillan and Gessamyn Casing were killed.

Santillan was the aide of former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chong, who accused the policemen of a rubout.

Calabarzon police chief Brigadier General Edward Carranza earlier said it was a “legitimate” operation and that Mercado himself was traveling with Santillan at the time.

The police insisted that Mercado managed to escape during the December shootout.

“Yes it was the same ‘Barry,’” Consolacion said in a phone interview, Friday.

He said they were still looking for “two to three” other members of the syndicate “but we have at least already stopped their activities.” Maricar Cinco