Chief Inspector Teodoro Tadeo Santos Jr., chief of the First Provincial Mobile Group (PMG), identified the slain policemen as PO1 Reynald Pinkihan, of the Cordillera regional police, and PO1 Walter Balajo, who was assigned with the 1st PMG in neighboring Ifugao province. Their civilian companion was still unidentified.
Santos said the two policemen and their civilian companion, along with two other cohorts, were linked to the robbery-holdup at the Fariñas Farm in Barangay Osmeña, Solano town earlier that day.
The robbery-holdup group split into two while they were being pursued by responding policemen led by Santos and SPO4 Anselmo Dulin, this town’s police intelligence chief.
Santos’ group encountered Pinkihan and two others in Barangay Casat here at about 11:30 p.m., more than two hours after the robbery. Pinkihan and one of his companions were killed after they shot it out with the lawmen.
Pinkihan’s other unidentified companion managed to escape, taking advantage of the darkness and the heavy downpour, police said.
Earlier, at about 9:30 p.m., the other pursuing police team, composed of SPO1s Dominador Mondala and Gerry Labog and PO3 Romeo Visaya, all of the Solano police, and SPO1 Noel Valdez of the 1st PMG, engaged Balajo in a shootout after they cornered him in front of a church in Solano. Balajo’s unidentified companion, however, managed to escape.
Balajo and Pinkihan, both hit in the head, were wearing bullet-proof vests. They were identified through identification cards and other papers found in their wallets, Santos said.
Found in their possession were a caliber .38 revolver, a caliber .45 pistol, several live ammunition and P40,000 cash in three bundles, which police believe was part of their loot.