POLICE tracking down the assailants in the bloody bank robbery in Cabuyao, Laguna, two weeks ago killed a man and arrested five others in simultaneous operations in the province and in Batangas, Thursday.

Chief Supt. Ricardo Padilla, Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) police commander, however, said investigators have yet to say if those arrested were involved in the robbery of the Rizal Commercial and Banking Corp. branch in Cabuyao, Laguna, where 10 people were killed.

He, however, said the fatality and those arrested are members of local robbery groups operating in Southern Tagalog.

In a report to the National Police general headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Padilla said troopers from the Regional Special Operations Group, Regional Mobile Group and the 405th and 406th Provincial Police Mobile Groups swooped down on the residence of Montano Tolentino in barangay Putting, Calamba, Laguna, in search of firearms.

However, Tolentino, who sensed the presence of the operatives, allegedly attempted to escape while firing his handgun, triggering a shootout. He was killed.

A caliber .45 pistol was recovered from Tolentino.

Simultaneously, other members of the same units raided three other houses located at sitio Kapos, barangay San Rafael, Santo Tomas, Batangas, and arrested five men, who yielded several firearms and ammunition.

The five were identified as Jason Marasigan, Ian Rey Marasigan, Gary Tumambing, Romeo Marasigan and Victorino Marasigan.

Tumambing’s  house, which  was searched at about  6 a.m., yielded one caliber .38 revolver and a caliber .30 carbine and assorted ammunition, while Victorino turned in 12 shotgun shells and holsters for short firearms.

On the other hand, policemen recovered from the house of brothers Jason and Ian Rey a caliber .45 pistol and several live ammunition and empty shells.

Padilla said charges of illegal possession of firearms are being readied against the five while ballistics examinations would be conducted on the firearms to determine if these match the firearms used by the assailants in the bank robbery-killing.

Cabinet studies ways to cut power rates

THE Cabinet Study Group tasked to look into the issue of power rates has created a technical working group to further thresh out the recommendations made by top executives of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) during a meeting on Thursday.

THE National Association of Electricity Consumers (Nasecore) Thursday filed a P889 million large-scale estafa case before the Department of Justice against officials of the Lopez-managed Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) in connection with the power distributor’s move to convert as income the interest earned by the meter and bill deposits of its subscribers.

THE question of whether the proxy solicitation done by the Lopez bloc is illegal or not will be determined Friday afternoon in a hearing supervised by corporate regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

ZAMBOANGA CITY—A powerful bomb exploded outside the main gate of the Col. Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) that houses the 3rd Air Division of the Air Force (PAF) in barangay Santa Maria this city, killing two people and wounding 21 others.

POLICE tracking down the assailants in the bloody bank robbery in Cabuyao, Laguna, two weeks ago killed a man and arrested five others in simultaneous operations in the province and in Batangas, Thursday.

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the government remains optimistic that the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, will reduce the penalty of Filipino migrant workers May Vecina and Marilou Ranario, who have been sentenced to die by hanging.

ELECTIONS Commissioner Romeo Brawner succumbed to a heart attack Thursday while he was confined at a hospital in Quezon City, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced.