LEGAZPI CITY (PNA) – Two alleged members of the notorious Concepcion Crime Group were killed in a shootout with lawmen last Sunday in Sitio Paguringon, Barangay Bariw, Libon town, Albay province.
In a press statement on Wednesday, Lt. Col. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-5 (Bicol), said police were serving an arrest warrant on Jonathan Rejale when the two suspects fired at lawmen and threw a grenade at them, resulting in a shootout.
She said after the firefight, two gang members were killed while Rejale, who has a standing warrant of arrest for murder, and another gang member, Jayson Sayson, managed to escape.
The slain gang members were only identified as alias ‘’Jerry’’ and alias ‘’Papa,’’ police said.
"The operating teams recovered from the crime scene the following items: 12 fired cartridge cases for caliber 5.56mm; two fired cartridge cases for caliber .45; one unit Armscor caliber .45 pistol with Serial No. 1260697 chamber loaded with live ammunition with steel magazine inserted containing four live ammunition; one unit Taurus caliber .45 pistol with Serial No. 728517 chamber loaded with live ammunition with steel magazine inserted containing five live ammunition; and personal belongings of the suspects," Calubaquib said.
The recovered evidence was placed under the custody of the regional forensic unit for cross-matching and ballistic examination while the hand grenade was placed under the custody of the Albay provincial explosive canine unit.
The suspects’ bodies were brought to the Siapno Funeral Home in Libon for post-mortem examination.
The Concepcion Crime Group was involved in robbery and extortion and gunrunning.