12 others arrested :Fugitive in violent Lepanto mine company heist nabbed

MANKAYAN, Benguet – A fugitive with a P300,00 bounty on his head and wanted for the violent heist of 21 kilos of gold here at the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. in 2001 who participated in killing five employees, four security guards and an engineer that time was nabbed around 5 p.m. Wednesday in Isabela City, Basilan by a tracker police team from the Cordillera and their counterparts in Region 9.

In Camp Dangwa, La Trinidad, Cordillera regional police headquarters, Supt. Davy Limmong, regional police information officer identified the fugitive as Agustin Pallatao Quebang, of Barangay Paalaban, Mankayan, saying he was wanted for robbery with multiple homicide. 

            

Supt. Constancio T. Chinayog Jr., relayed the information earlier to Limmong.

            

Quebang, in the regional police’s most wanted person list was with his group when they held up employees of the mining company whom they reportedly shot which resulted to their death.

            

Quebang and his group had taken 21kilos of gold bars from the LMCC while being transported to a small plane in 2001 killing the victims and  taking with them two M16 rifles as they ran.

Following his capture, Quebang was brought to Isabela City police headquarters before he was brought to the local court here headed by Judge Agapito Laoagan who issued the warrant for his arrest. 

            

Lawmen who arrested Quebang included members of Benguet Provincial Police office, La Trinidad municipal police station, Isabela City police, Basilan R2-Police Regional Office 9, ISG and Philippine Army.

            

Cordillera regional police director Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong and Benguet police chief congratulated their men who participated in tracking and arresting the suspect.    

This, as 12 other criminals were arrested in the Cordillera the past few days.

In Itogon, Benguet, police, by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Jose Encarnacion of the Itogon Municipal Trial Court, arrested the No.10 top most wanted person in the town at Old Hospital, Balatoc, Virac, Itogon also on Wednesday.

Senior Supt. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., provincial police director, identified the suspect as Glenn Cangyas Alyang, 23, miner of Balatoc, Virac who was charged for attempted high grading.

Last April 25, Alyang and his still on the loose companion identified as Mondero Ao-wat y Pingao, 21, stole 5.1 kilos of gold ore, two cap lamps and a sledge hammer from the Benguet Corp. at Balatoc Itogon.

Also separately arrested were Aurelia Balaoro Barbadillo, 63,  who was arrested at Patucannay, Bangued, Abra and Emilia Pio Paredes, 56, of  Catacdegan Viejo, Manabo, Abra  who was nabbed along Torijos St, Zone 3, Bangued, also for estafa.

Arrested persons included Leo Ampac Dammay, 23, miner,  who was arrested in his residence at Old House, Balatoc, Virac for high grading; Susan Bastian Foster, 26, of Upper Camp, Itogon, who was seized in Bekes, Buyacaoan, Buguias, Benguet for serious physical injuries and Tony Sakog Dang-iw, 47, miner,  who was arrested in his residence at Purok 7, Kias, Baguio City for high grading.

Two others were nabbed for theft and were identified as Dave Marvin Araza, who was arrested at Purok 7, Sunnyside Fairview, Baguio City while a 15- year old minor residing at Badiwan Tuba, Benguet was arrested at km 4, Asin Road, Baguio City.

Four other individuals were also arrested. They were identified as Randy Ordas, 28; Jumer Salingbay, 23 and a minor all residents of Barangay Palitud, Paracelis who were nabbed  in Sitio Burayok, Anonat, Paracelis, Mt. Province  and Tristan Pangwi Fonite who was arrested in his residence in San Carlos Heights, Baguio City for rape.