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NPA leader, pal killed in shootout with cops

By Rhoda Grace Saron

June 23, 2019, 6:38 pm

DAVAO CITY -- A ranking New People's Army (NPA) leader wanted for numerous heinous crimes and his companion were killed in a shootout with police operatives on Sunday in a safe house in Barangay Bagong Silang, Laak, Compostela Valley.

Capt. Jerry Lamosao, spokesperson of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said NPA leader Jay Mendoza alias "Pogs" and his companion Bryan Ondoy were killed after exchanging fire with police authorities who were serving arrest warrants to the NPA leader.

Mendoza was the Deputy Secretary of the NPA's Guerrilla Front 2, Sub-regional Committee 2, Southern Mindanao Command; member of the Executive Committee, Sub Regional committee 2 (SRC 2), Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC); and head, Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG), SRC 2, SMRC.

Ondoy on the other hand was in the drug watch list of the police.

Lamosao said Sunday's operation was led by Laak police with the 60th Infantry Battalion providing augmentation.

Mendoza has pending four warrants of arrest for murder, double murder with double frustrated murder, robbery, and serious illegal detention.

Lamosao said Mendoza and Ondoy started firing at the arresting officers before they could even reach the entrance of the safe house.

This prompted the authorities to return fire which eventually led to the killing of Mendoza and Ondoy.

Authorities also recovered from Mendoza and Ondoy's bodies two .45-caliber pistols, one Uzi sub-machine gun with magazine and live ammunition, one fragmentation grenade, one blasting cap, one-meter detonating cord, and one mobile phone.

Lamosao said Mendoza is responsible for killing at least two Army officers and 16 soldiers, several police personnel, CAFGU active auxiliaries, and former rebels from 2006 to 2018.

Mendoza was also reportedly involved in the burning of mining equipment, vehicles, and office of APEX mining in Maco town in 2012; attack of Dasia Security Agency in Tagum in May 2014; attack on Gov. Generoso Municipal Police Station and abduction of its chief of police in 2016; the burning of mining equipment in Banay-banay, Davao Oriental in January 2018; and numerous extortion activities in the region. (PNA)

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