Five members of a civilian security unit were killed while three cops and a civilian were wounded in a firefight that erupted between two groups arising from a chainsaw confiscated earlier by authorities in Negros Oriental Wednesday afternoon.
Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos, director of Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, identified the slain victims as Feliciano Candido, a rebel returnee and the group’s leader; Cedric Regino, Angel Torres, Grasing Enbalsado and Renato Torres, all alleged member of the Civil Security Office of the City of Bais.
Carlos identified the injured policemen as PO1 Reyden Cadiz, PO1 Jemry Montesa and PO1 Rodeo Jaluag, all assigned with the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB-7). Rolando Candido, a civilian, was also wounded.
Initial investigation showed that the group of Candido swooped down at the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Mabinay town at about 10 a.m. Wednesday to ask for the return of a chainsaw confiscated from then by the local DENR personnel last Nov. 5.
While Candido’s men were at the DENR’s office, Dionesia Trongcoso, the office station manager of Mabinay noticed one of Candido’s men with a bulging object tuck in his waistline prompting her to solicit the assistance of the policeman.
Upon arriving at the scene, members of the RPSB-7 immediately summoned the man with a bulging object in his waistline for inspection. One of Candido’s men fired at the policemen, starting a firefight.
Carlos said Candido and four of his men were killed on the spot while three others identified as Ricky Sohot, Junjun Gutib and Richard Royo were arrested by the policemen.
He said that the policemen recovered three hand guns, four caliber 45 pistols and three hand grenades from the arrested members of Candido’s group.
Carlos said that they are investigating whether the fatalities were indeed members of the Civil Security Office of Bais City.