MANKAYAN, Benguet -- A drug courier died after a shootout with police in an encounter that took place early morning of Saturday, April 16, in Pas-adan, Colalo, Mankayan.
Maj. Wiltz Konrad Sally, chief of police of the Mankayan Municipal Police Station, identified the suspect as Crisanto Marcellano, alias Cris, a resident of San Pedro, Laguna.
According to Sally, the Mankayan MPS conducted a checkpoint operation in Sitio Cabatuan, Colalo, Mankayan after receiving information that a black sedan without plate number and loaded with marijuana bricks from Cervantes, Ilocos Sur was coming in.
The police manning the checkpoints spotted the approaching vehicle that was exactly similar to the description they had received.
The police signaled the approaching vehicle to slow down. The vehicle suddenly stopped but then it hit the checkpoint signage and sped off.
The police chased the vehicle, and at the same time called for back-up while other policemen immediately set up checkpoints at all possible points of entries and exits in Pas-adan, Colalo, Mankayan, Benguet.
Sally said the driver, knowing he was no longer far away from the pursuing authorities, suddenly got off and fired several shots at the policemen, prompting the police to retaliate.
The suspect was hit and fell on the road.
Police immediately rushed the suspect to Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company Hospital, but he died while being treated.
The Provincial Forensic Unit (PFU)-Benguet recovered at the crime scene a cal. 9mm Taurus pistol, one piece of live ammunition, eight pieces of live ammo in the magazine and one magazine.
With the help of the Cordillera Regional Explosives and Canine Unit (RECU) through their canine sniffing operation, the SOCO team recovered five pieces of marijuana bricks weighing 5 kilos and valued at P600,000.00.