Most wanted kidnapper, 1 other killed in police op in Zambales —PNP

The Philippine National Police Anti Kidnapping Group’s (PNP AKG) number one most wanted person and an unidentified individual were killed after they allegedly fired at the authorities who were serving him an arrest warrant in Zambales on Wednesday.

In a statement on Thursday, PNP chief Police General Debold Sinas identified the fatality as Michael Corpuz, allegedly a member of the notorious Mokong Kidnap-for-Ransom Group.

According to Emil Sumangil’s report on “24 Oras,” the authorities conducted the raid on a safe house in Botolan at around midnight.

“Itong bahay na ito is medyo isolated, so pumunta lang sila dito during nighttime, natutulog. So during daytime nagaalis sila dito,” Zambales Provincial Director Police Colonel Romano Cardino said in the report.

“But according to our informant, palagi sila, matagal na sila nagii-stay dito. Siguro nga dahil according to AKG medyo mainit na sila sa NCR,” he added.

The PNP said that armed with an M16 rifle and two handguns, Corpuz and his cohort opened fire at the approaching operatives, resulting in a shootout.

Shabu were also recovered from the slain suspects, it added.

Corpuz is a subject of six warrants of arrest: three for kidnapping for ransom, two for violation of special protection against child abuse, and one for carnapping.

Citing AKG records, PNP said Corpuz’s group Mokong KFR Group is involved in kidnapping, illegal drugs, robbery hold-up, and carnapping in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces.

The group also went viral with CCTV footage of them conducting a fake PDEA raid in Barangay Ususan, Taguig City on February 4, 2018, where they robbed and kidnapped three people including two minors, the PNP said.

Authorities also obtained a video taken in a moving van from “Alden,” the man wearing the jacket in the video.

Beside him was another man who could be heard crying while his head was wrapped in a red shirt. The PNP-AKG said this was the kidnap victim, who was later killed by the suspects after he paid the ransom.

Alden was recently killed by authorities in Pililla, Rizal.

“They are fake PDEA agents and itong grupo na ‘to ay pinangungunahan ni Ryan Bonn Dela Cruz,” PNP-AKG Luzon Field Unit Chief Police Colonel Villamor Bannawagan said.

“Allegedly, ito ay nagumpisa sa drugs. And then nung lumaki ng lumaki, nag expand ng nag expand, ngayon hindi lang drugs, na-involve na rin sa kidnapping for ransom,” he added. — with Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News