Police shoots gun-for-hire dead

CEBU, Philippines - The remaining member of a gun-for-hire group who escaped from last week’s shootout with police in Consolacion was shot dead in Mandaue City on Saturday night.

Police killed Heronjo Lantacsi alias Jerry Danlag, the alleged right hand of Francisco “Boyet” Ariva, leader of the Boyet Ariva Group whose four other members were recently killed in a shootout with police.

“Hard core g’yud ni siya ni Ariva. Ubay-ubay na sad kuno ni og napatay according to Ariva,” SPO1 Reynaldo Solante told The FREEMAN. (Ariva said Lantacsi has killed a lot of people.)

Solante, a team leader from the Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said he was forced to shoot Lantacsi after the latter tried to resist arrest and shot him.

Solante said they learned of Lantacsi’s whereabouts after a concerned citizen tipped them that the suspect was hiding in his friend’s house at a squatter’s area in Barangay Sabangdaku.

Immediately acting on the report, Solante said they proceeded to the area at 9 p.m. and indeed they saw Lantacsi standing on an area as if waiting for someone.

“I-approach unta namo, tarungon unta og pasurender unya kay nakabantay man dayon siya. Miaksiyon og bunot sa iyang armas, di g’yud gusto mo-surrender,” said Solante. (We would have wanted to approach him and tell him to surrender peacefully but he sensed our presence and took out a gun.)

Before Lantacsi could fire his gun, Solante was quick to pull the trigger and shot the suspect from a five-meter distance. Solante, using his caliber .45 pistol, hit Lantaksi on the shoulder.

Police took Lantacsi to the Mandaue District Hospital but he died a few minutes later. The bullet, according to Solante, was embedded on Lantacsis’ shoulder. Police also recovered the suspect’s firearm, a cal. 45 pistol.

Last Thursday, Ariva and Lantacsi escaped while their four companions, Rene Boy Tarriao, Ian  Siacol, Vicente Judaya, and Jerson Resme were killed in a shootout with police who were serving four search warrants against the suspects.

The PIB officer said Lantacsi, Ariva, and Tarriao posted bail after they were arrested last November for bringing firearms in Alegria, apparently about to shoot someone again. — (FREEMAN)