Robbery gang member slain, 6 cohorts nabbed

CAMP ALEJO SANTOS, Bu—lacan — A suspected member of a robbery-holdup gang preying on Nueva Ecija-bound passenger buses was killed and six of his alleged cohorts were arrested in separate operations in San Miguel town the other day.

Slain was Edgardo Flores, 43, and nabbed were Cesar Adriano, 37; Percival Adriano, 39; Bienvenido Lacanilao, 34; Joel Lacanilao, 39; Ferdinand Sampaga, 24; and Francisco Lusara, 42, according to Senior Superintendent Felizardo Serapio Jr., provincial police director.

Seized from the suspects were two caliber .45 pistols, two caliber .38 revolvers and a grenade.

Flores was gunned down in a two-hour firefight in Barangay Salapungan.

Serapio said a joint team composed of elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, 305th Provincial Mobile Group, and the Bulacan and Candaba police, was involved in the separate raids resulting in the arrests.

The suspects were believed to be remnants of a criminal gang behind hijackings in Bulacan and the P2.5-million bank robbery in Plaridel town recently.