In a report to Superintendent Benedict Michael Fokno, provincial police director, Chief Inspector Prudencio Legazpi, director of the 306th Provincial Mobile Group (PMG), identified three of the slain suspects as Romeo Fajardo, the alleged gang leader; Jeffrey Factor; and Joselito Sevilla.
The fourth suspect remained unnamed as of press time, while the wounded policeman was identified as PO1 Teddy Juan.
Police said they got information that Fajardo’s group was planning to rob the Holy Rosary Cooperative here.
However, the suspects sensed that the police were trailing them and tried to elude them by driving back toward nearby San Rafael town.
Upon reaching Barangay Maasim here, the suspects fired at the police, hitting Juan in the right leg.
A brief gunbattle ensued as members of the 306th PMG, San Ildefonso police and the Regional Investigation and Intelligence Division fired back.
Police found a caliber .45 pistol, two caliber .38 revolvers, a grenade and assorted ammunition inside the slain suspects’ Nissan Frontier pick-up truck. — Dino Balabo and Ric Sapnu