5 security men killed in shootout with cops

From the Visayan Daily Star (Nov 19): 5 security men killed in shootout with cops

Five members of the Bais City Security Group were reportedly killed in a shootout with personnel of the Regional Public Safety Battalion 7, inside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office compound in Mabinay, Negros Oriental, at about 2:25 p.m. yesterday.

The fatalities were identified as Cedric Regino, Angel Torres, Grasing Embalsado, Renato Torres, and Pelly Candido.

Slightly wounded were Police Officers 1 Reyden Cadiz, Jemrey Montesa, and Rodeo Jaluag, while an injured civilian was identified as Rolando Candido. They were all brought to the Bais hospital.

Arrested were Ricky Sohot, Junjun Gutib, and Richard Royo.

The RPSB personnel, led by Insp. Lowelyn Reyes, officer-in-charge of the 3 rd Company based in Mabinay, were responding to an “armed persons” call for assistance in the compound of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Bulwang, Mabinay, when the shootout occurred.

Sketchy reports from Mabinay said the Civil Security Group involved in the shootout was headed by a certain Pelly Candido, who was earlier tagged as a leader of a private armed group in Bais City, and a former member of the New People's Army.

Reports have it that at about 10:30 a.m., Dionesia Trongcoso, DENR station manager in Mabinay, had asked for police assistance from the RPSB-7, reportedly due to the presence of armed men in the area.

Reports have it that Candido's group was at the DENR Mabinay office to claim a chainsaw confiscated by a forest guard two to three weeks ago, allegedly for illegally cutting trees at the Mabinay Reforestation Project.

Trongcoso had refused to return the chainsaw because only the DENR regional director can release it.

At about 2:25 p.m., a policeman noticed something bulging from the waistline of one of the security group members and directed that person to voluntarily submit himself for inspection. But somebody from that group pulled a gun and fired at the policemen.

CENRO-Dumaguete head Charlie Fabre said that before the shootout, the DENR received threats from an anonymous group, and blottered said threat with the Mabinay Police Station.

Meanwhile, the local government unit of Bais City is still awaiting official and verified information on the shooting incident.

Bais City Legal Officer Lloyd Elmaco, in a telephone interview and speaking for Mayor Mercy Goñi, declined to comment on initial police reports that the Bais City civil security group and police personnel had engaged in a shootout in Mabinay.

While having received reports of the supposed shootout, Elmaco said the Bais City LGU has not yet officially received any confirmation that the city's civil security group had actually figured in the encounter.

The LGU also does not have any other details, such as who were killed and wounded and why the civil security group, if indeed true, was in Mabinay, Elmaco said.

The Bais City LGU will come up with an official statement once it has complete and confirmed details of the shootout, he added.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2015/November/19/negor1.htm