Suspect in deadly Leyte ambush arrested; cops hunt other gunman

TACLOBAN CITY — Police arrested one of two suspects linked to the deadly ambush in Albuera, Leyte, that left two people dead and three others wounded on Monday, authorities said.

The suspect, identified only as alias “Totoy,” 27, an unemployed resident of Albuera, was apprehended around 10 p.m. on Monday following a hot pursuit operation conducted by the Regional Task Force (RTF) Kamurayaw and local police units.

Another suspect, alias “Berto,” a farmer from the same municipality, has been identified but remains at large.

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READ: 2 dead, 3 wounded in Leyte ambush; cops launch hot pursuit

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During the operation, authorities recovered two high-powered firearms: a U.S.-made 7.62mm M14 Springfield Armory rifle with a magazine containing six live rounds, and an unmarked R4 rifle loaded with 25 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.

RTF Kamurayaw carried out the arrest of the suspect in coordination with the Albuera Municipal Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Unit, 1st Leyte Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the Albuera local government.

Lt. Col. Analiza Armeza, information officer of the Police Regional Office-8 (PRO-8), said the arrest resulted from an intelligence-driven operation aided by information provided by a community member.

“A member of the community provided information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts,” Armeza said.

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She declined to provide further details, citing ongoing operations to locate and arrest the remaining suspect.

Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, regional director of PRO-8, commended the operating units for the swift arrest and assured the public that efforts to capture the second suspect would continue.

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“We will sustain our hot pursuit operations to arrest the remaining suspect and ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice,” Capoy said.

The arrested suspect and the seized firearms were brought to the Albuera Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition.

The ambush occurred at about 7 a.m. on June 15 along an uphill stretch of road in Barangay Salvacion. The victims were traveling in a Toyota Wigo bound for Albuera town proper when armed men opened fire on the vehicle.

Killed in the attack were Maria Noya Velos, 51, and Sherwin Villones Gumop-As, 23, both residents of Barangay Salvacion. Velos was reported to be the common-law wife of village chairman Walter Taripe.

Investigators said the victims sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head and neck and died at the scene.

Three other passengers were wounded in the attack: Daniel Gumop-As, 56; a 17-year-old minor; and John Carlo Israel Porneto, 18. All were rushed to Ormoc District Hospital for treatment.

RTF Kamurayaw was created by PRO-8 to bolster security operations ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled in November.

READ: Cop survives ambush; suspect wounded in shootout in Leyte

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The task force has deployed personnel to identified areas of concern, including Leyte’s fourth district, where Albuera is located./coa