CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines – A civilian was killed while three others, including two police officers, were arrested following a shootout with fellow lawmen who prevented them from robbing a delivery van in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija last Thursday.
Provincial police director Senior Superintendent Manuel Cornel identified the fatality as Raymund Reyes, 36, of Gen. Natividad, Nueva Ecija.
Arrested in a follow-up operation were Police Officer 3 Benito Marquez and PO1 Alvin Belmonte, 38, and their alleged accomplice Reynaldo Gozon, 45.
Marquez is a member of the Gen. Natividad police station while Belmonte was assigned with the Palayan City police.
The Marquez Group is reportedly involved in a string of robberies, contract killings and carjackings in Gen. Natividad and nearby towns.
The suspects were detained at the Gabaldon police jail.
Police are hunting down another member of the group, identified as Orly Reyes.
Cornel said the suspects, who were in van (UKJ-777), blocked an Isuzu delivery van loaded with cigarettes along the highway in Barangay Ligaya on Tuesday afternoon.
At gunpoint, the suspects ordered truck driver Lloyd Dandan to get off the truck.
Patrolling police officers spotted the suspects and pursued them, triggering a shootout.