7 ‘contract killers’ nabbed in Malabon raid

Alleged gang leader slain, cop hurt   

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Malabon police raided a house where alleged members of a gang of contract killers had taken refuge yesterday, arresting eight men.

The gang’s alleged leader, Jong Sangre, alias Cobra, was killed in the initial exchange of gunfire along Pampano street in Barangay Longos at past noon, according to city police chief Senior Superintentent Severino Abad Jr.

Police Officer 1 Nixon Poncillan, a member of the city police’s special reaction unit, was rushed to the Chinese General Hospital after a bullet broke his leg.

Abad identified the arrested suspects as Robert Delantar, 22; Jolito Gerosanib; Danton Ramos, 29; and two boys, aged 15 and 16, all of Barangay Tonsuya.

The four of them had police officers at a standoff that lasted two hours before they surrendered at past 2 p.m.

Intelligence officers working to solve the murders of several barangay officials in nearby Caloocan City earlier tagged Barangay Tonsuya as the lair of contract killers operating in Metro Manila.

As the police cleared the area, they also arrested Rodolfo Gaspar, 21; Rogelio Gaspar, 54; and Ariel John Fabila, 34, who lived near the house where the gang had taken refuge.

Police officers recovered a .38 caliber revolver and a hand grenade from the suspects, but the clearing operation was ongoing as off press time.

Refuge

An operative of the Navotas police, who asked not to be named, told The STAR that the owner of the house asked for their help when Sangre’s gang arrived shortly before lunch to seek refuge.

“When the owner of the house did not allow them to go inside, Sangre got mad and started shooting at them. The woman ran out of the house and went to the nearest police station, which happened to be a Navotas police community precinct,” the officer said.

Barangay Longos straddles the boundary of Malabon and Navotas.

The officer said they immediately informed the Malabon police, which dispatched a reaction team.

Poncillan, who was wounded during the initial assault on the house, was pinned down by the suspects and had to be rescued by his fellow policemen. Sangre and another suspect also suffered gunshot wounds.

During negotiations following the initial assault, one of the suspects was heard asking for an ambulance but suddenly stopped talking to the police.

A member of the reaction team said that was “probably the time Sangre died.” 

Abad said the group was also involved in gun running, car theft and illegal drugs.

Cop killer

Senior Superintendent Romeo Uy, Navotas police chief, told The STAR Sangre was wanted for the killing of Police Officer 1 Julius Mendoza at the Navotas Fish Port on April 13.

Mendoza was part of a raiding team tasked to arrest a certain Marklen Rueda when they were ambushed minutes after missing the suspect at his safehouse.

A witness said the policemen fought back under heavy fire “but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies firing from different directions.”

Uy said charges were filed against Sangre and 10 others but the suspect had successfully evaded attempts to catch him.