Metro Manila police chief Director Ricardo de Leon ordered a background investigation against the suspects Luisito Herbolingo, alias Ka Chito; Danilo Bulisan, alias Ka Boy; Pedro Joson, alias Ka Pete, and Joselito Joson, alias Ka Lito.
"They were monitored going in and out of a village in Quezon City bringing with them high-powered firearms so we set up an operation to get them," De Leon in an interview.
He said a SWAT team from the Central Police District were conducting checkpoint operations along Shorthorn street, GSIS Village, Project 8 when they intercepted the suspects at about 6 a.m. yesterday.
The suspects, who were on board a Toyota Tamaraw FX with license plates UJR 835 identified themselves as media practitioners apparently to evade arrest.
However, the SWAT team insisted on searching the vehicle and recovered a caliber .30 Carbine rifle, a caliber .45 automatic pistol, a laptop computer, a multi-media projector, a camera and three cellular phones.
Upon receiving the arrest report, De Leon dispatched elements of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID), Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) and the CPD’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) to conduct follow-up operations.
The combined police team found three vehicles parked at the suspects’ residence at 9 Saint Michael street, Paradise Village, Project 8, Quezon City.
De Leon said verification from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) showed that the license plate (DHK 728) on a green Mitsubishi L-300 van was registered to an Isuzu Jitney owned by a certain Ruben Valencia of Bilucao, Malvar, Batangas. The lawmen impounded the van.
Police are readying appropriate charges against the suspects before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office. They are now detained at the CPD detention center. – Non Alquitran, Katherine Adraneda