A village chief and four other suspected members of a gun-for-hire group were killed while a policeman was wounded in a shootout in Pampanga early dawn Saturday.
Reports said combined operatives from Pampanga’s Provincial Public Safety Company, intelligence agents and members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) were about to serve a warant of arrest against the suspects in Purok 2, Barangay Cupang in Arayat town at around 2 a.m when the shootout occurred.
The slain suspects were identified as Melvin Guervarra, barangay chairman of Barangay Cupang, Aldrin Luriz, Fermin Bato, Jack and one John Doe.
The report said the lawmen, armed with a search warrant issued by the Gapan City Regional Trial Court, swooped down on the suspects hideout to serve the court order, but were immediately fired upon.
The first volley of fire hit P03 Raffy Tacdiran, a SWAT member, prompting the policemen to retaliate, wounding the five suspects.
The suspects, along with PO3 Tacdiran, were rushed to the Laquios District Hospital in Arayat, Pampanga, but the wounded suspects were declared dead on arrival.
Tacdiran, however, is now in stable condition.
Recovered from the scene of the encounter were two baby armalite rifles, two caliber .45 pistols, one cal. .38 revolver and two magazines for armalite rifle.
Investigators did not give more details as to the involvement of the slain suspects in criminal activities in the province.