Some of the 13 alleged members of a criminal gang killed in a shootout with police officers in Quezon on Sunday afternoon were said to be members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as well, a police official disclosed Monday. Senior Superintendent Val de Leon, Quezon provincial police director, said that based on the identification cards recovered from the slain suspects, at least three had IDs from the PNP. He would not immediately disclose the names of the men.
Radio reports, however, identified one of the slain "suspects" as Superintendent Alfredo Consamino, said to be a ranking official in the Mimaropa (Mindoro-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan) police office. De Leon said that there were also soldiers among those killed in the encounter in the boundaries of Atimonan and Plaridel towns Sunday afternoon.
Policemen and soldiers were acting on intelligence reports that a Bicol-based crime group was passing by the area headed for Metro Manila so they set up a checkpoint, where the suspects fired at those manning the checkpoint, triggering a gun fight.
"Meron tayong tatlong pulis na namatay based on the IDs we recovered but we have yet to confirm their identity kasi merong mga coordination na ginagawa ang ating RD (regional director, Chief Superintendent James Melad) at inaalam pa yung true identity kasi ang pagkakilanlan based on the IDs that were recovered sa kanilang katawan," de Leon said in a phone interview.
Asked if the three policemen were suspects, de Leon said, "We did not expect at all that there were uniformed personnel involved."
A ranking police officer, Supt. Hansel Marantan, was also wounded in the incident.
Authorities recovered several high-powered firearms, including ten M14 rifles and an M16 baby armalite, from the slain suspects. The group was said to be engaged in a wide range of illegal activities, including robbery and illegal drugs.
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