4 gun-for-hire ‘killers’ nabbed in P’sinan raid

By Mar T. Supnad

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Four members of an alleged gun-for-hire group who were suspected in the murder of a village chief, a principal, an engineer, and several Indian traders in Pangasinan, were arrested Monday afternoon by joint police  operatives at a safehouse in Malasiqui, Pangasinan.

Combined elements of Region 1 police and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group busted Tuesday the notorious Colisao Gang nabbed the group in their safe house .

At Camp Florendo here, Chief Supt. Ramon V. Gatan, Region 1 police director, said the gang, headed by its leader Manny Colisao is an organized crime group involved in gun-for-hire and robbery/hold-up activities in Pangasinan, Tarlac and nearby provinces.

Usually the group victimizes Indian nationals and messengers of door-to-door delivery companies, said Gatan.

The group is included in the PNP list of criminal gangs and falls under Category 1 of Partisan Armed Groups (PAGs).

Aside from Manny Colisao, also arrested were Modesto Colisao, 25, Alver Mendoza alias Ambet, and Jojo Torio, 21.

The arrested persons are all residents of Malasiqui, except for Torio who is from the nearby municipality of Villasis.

The police led by Supt. Romeo N. Caramat, Jr., Group commander of the 107th PNP mobile group, confiscated from the gang a Cal. 45 pistol, one Cal. 38 revolver, two hand grenades, two magazines for Cal. 45, and 28 bullets.

Gatan said Manny Colisao and Modesto Colisao had warrants of arrest for frustrated murder issued by Judge Emma Bauzon of RTC Branch 57, San Carlos City, (Pangasinan.

Records showed the Colisao group was involved in the killing in separate occasions of Luisito Gabat, a school principal, and that of Flor Benitez, a former barangay chairman.

Both killings happened at Barangay Gomez in Malasiqui March this year.