Slain holdup men targeted Aurora firm's payroll - police

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines  – The eight suspected holduppers belonging to a break-away group of the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan, who were slain in a Friday the 13th shootout with government operatives, were planning to stage another heist, targetting the payroll money of an Aurora-based company before they encountered security forces at a checkpoint in Rizal, Nueva Ecija.

Superintendent Edgar Alan Okubo, chief of the provincial public safety company, said the suspects, three of whom he identified as Ka Caesar, Ka Gerry and Ka Ricky, were planning to pull off another robbery-holdup when they met their death in the hands of lawmen.

The encounter was sprung at 8 a.m. Friday in Sitio Gulod, Barangay Poblacion West here when operating units of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office under provincial director Senior Superintendent Roberto Aliggayu and the 702nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army led by its brigade commander, Col. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, flagged down the suspects who were traveling on board two vehicles at a checkpoint.

Instead of stopping, the suspects opened fire, triggering the exchange of gunfire.

The NEPPO operatives were reinforced by the provincial public safety company under Okubo, the provincial special reaction team under Senior Superintendent Joseph Sta. Cruz and the provincial intelligence bureau under Superintendent Ricardo Villanueva. They were joined by operatives of the 48th Infantry Battalion of Lt. Col. Kurt Decapia and the 81st IB under operations officer Capt. Elmer Salvador.

The suspects were planning to stage another robbery-holdup in San Jose City, targeting the payroll money of a construction company based in Aurora when spotted by the government troops, resulting in a five-minute firefight. No one was killed on the government side although the windshield of the Isuzu Elf of the 81st IB was smashed in the exchange of gunfire.

“It was Friday the 13th really on their case,” said Trinidad.

Trinidad said there are intelligence reports the group members belong to a break-away faction of the HMB, the forerunner of the communist New People’s Army. He said they are still checking reports that the group, which is operating in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, is led allegedly by Bon Alejandrino, who ran but lost in the mayoral elections in Arayat, Pampanga a few years back.

“We also are still trying to know if they are active members of the HMB,”he said.

Trinidad said the operation was the result of a two-week intelligence build-up by the Army and the police’s handling of the checkpoints.

Recovered in the encounter scene were five caliber 38 revolvers, one caliber 9mm pistol, two handgrenades, one dark green Toyota Corolla with license plate UGN-659, one silver Mitsubishi Lancer with license plate TNN-891 and live and spent shells for caliber 38 and 9mm.