CATBALOGAN, Samar – A
firefight ensued when members of a seaborne composite team from the Samar
Police Provincial Office, 809th Police Provincial Mobile Group,
Philippine Navy Naval
Special Operations Unit 5, Naval Intelligence and Security Unit 8 and
National Intelligence and Coordinating Agency, under the supervision of
Samar PNP Provincial Director PSSpt. Arcadio B. Lelis, encountered a group
of heavily armed men who were claiming to be members of a Bantay Dagat team of
Calbayog City in the vicinity seawaters of Sitio Cuyabot, Brgy. Tunga-tunga,
Almagro, Samar.
Police report said that
on January 25, 2006 at about 1:00 in the afternoon, the composite team was
conducting a seaborne patrol on board
Philippine Navy naval craft
DF 339 at the seawaters of the first district this province to neutralize a
group of armed men engaging in extortion and piracy activities as reported
by some fishing boat operators victimizing fishing vessels operating in the
area when the encounter happened.
Prior to the incident, while
at the vicinity of the abovementioned place and upon seeing the colored
green motorboat boarded with eight (8) heavily armed men, the joint team
introduced themselves as law enforcers and instructed the said motorboat to
stop but instead, the motorboat sped off to the shoreline while at the same
time opened fire to the approaching law enforcers, prompting the team to
return fire.
The firefight lasted for
about twenty (20) minutes, after which, the suspects withdrew to the hilly
portion of Sitio Cuyabot. The joint team then conducted a brief chase and
clearing operation that resulted in the apprehension of one of the suspects
identified as Riolindo Reyes y Maupay (alias
Rio), 27 years old, single, a native of Oriental Mindoro and
presently residing at Brgy. Rawis, Calbayog City, and the recovery of the
following items to wit: three (3) Baby armalite rifles with magazines SN
551619, SN RP 143674 and one with defaced SN respectively; two (2) M14
rifles with SN 1234885 and 1234752 respectively; one (1) bandoleer with six
(6) magazines of M14 rifle; and personal belongings of the suspects.
The recovered firearms to
include the motorboat used by the suspects with markings ‘Bantay Dagat first district, Rep.
Reynaldo S. Uy and Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento’ are presently under the
custody of the Samar Police Provincial Office for proper disposition. The
apprehended suspect, Riolindo Reyes, was released by the police in the
afternoon of January 26 (Thursday) to a lawyer who introduced himself as
Atty. Sisenando Fiel, Jr. of Calbayog City after following proper
procedures.
Appropriate case is now
being prepared by the authorities for filing in court against the suspects.
The recovered high powered firearms from the suspects.