The most wanted person in Laguna province, along with his associate, was arrested after a shootout with policemen that killed another cohort and a four-year-old child in Calamba City, Laguna, on Wednesday.
Col. Dennis de Guzman, Calamba City police chief, in his latest report on Friday, said that a certain ‘Regie,’ tagged as the most wanted person in Laguna and facing homicide charges, was eventually collared by police operatives in his safehouse in Barangay San Cristobal on Wednesday noon.
Earlier, the police team went to the hideout to serve a warrant for Regie’s arrest, and three armed men suddenly appeared, opened fire on the law enforcers, and an exchange of gunfire ensued.
The gunfire hit two police sergeants. One of them sustained a gunshot wound in his right shoulder, while the other one was shot in his right leg.
An alias, ‘Romar,’ Regie’s cohort, was killed during the encounter, while two others managed to escape.
An earlier report from Police Region 4A stated that a four-year-old child, ‘Akhi,’ was struck by a stray bullet and was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.
Another bystander, a 52-year-old woman identified only as ‘Flor,’ was also hit and sustained a gunshot wound.
In a follow-up operation on Thursday in the same village at around 10 a.m., police cornered and arrested an alias ‘Lele,’ another of Regie’s cohorts who managed to escape on Wednesday.
In the report, De Guzman said the police recovered from Regie one caliber .45 pistol, two magazines containing fourteen 14 bullets, a holster, and a cellphone.
The law enforcers also gathered at the crime scene, an improvised magazine-fed shotgun, a .38 caliber revolver, and several rounds of ammunition.
De Guzman described Regie’s arrest as a ‘significant blow to criminal elements operating in Calamba City, tagging him as a ‘gun for hire.’
‘This serves as proof of the dedication and integrity of our police force in fulfilling their sworn duty. The fight continues for peace and order in our city,’ he noted./coa