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COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 19 November) — Two robbery suspects who allegedly resisted arrest and fired at law enforcers were killed during pursuit operations here Thursday night, police said.
Lt. Colonel Iris Parangan, Kabacan town police chief, identified the hold-up/robbery suspects as Johari Adtag, 25 and Boy Macacua, 32, residents of Kidama in Matalam, North Cotabato who, according to CCTV recordings, were involved in robbery hold-up of a store, a vehicle repair shop and computer shops in Barangay Poblacion Kabacan.
Parangan said the two, who were on board a motorcycle, were flagged down by police officers along a highway checkpoint in Barangay Osias but instead of submitting themselves to inspection, turned back and traded shots with the police and were killed. He said they found two caliber .45 pistols and suspected sachets of shabu from them.
A CCTV footage that has gone viral on social media shows the modus operandi of the team. Upon arrival, one of them would pull out his gun and order those around to hand over their valuables to him while his companion would wait outside on a motorcycle ready for their escape.
Parangan said only one group was behind the series of robbery and hold-up in Kabacan but they are also looking also at the possibilities of their possible network with other criminal groups.
“We do not want this group to grow bigger and become notorious in town,” Parangan said. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)
