LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATION. Police and military troops carry the body of Jayson Sampiano Deniega, an alleged drug trafficker, who is slain in a shootout during a law enforcement operation Wednesday (February 10, 2021) in Barangay Molimoc, Balabagan, Lanao del Sur. Deniega, who was allegedly also involved in multiple murder and extortion cases, is listed as the No. 5 most wanted person in the province. (Photo courtesy of Western Mindanao Command Public Information Office)
ZAMBOANGA CITY--Authorities killed a top wanted person in a shootout during a law enforcement operation in the Lanao del Sur town of Balabagan, officials said Thursday.
Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, identified the slain suspect as Jayson Sampiano Deniega, who allegedly was also involved in multiple murder and extortion cases, aside from drug trafficking.
Vinluan said Deniega -- the province's No. 5 most wanted person-- resisted the police and military team sent to serve an arrest warrant around 10 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Molimoc, Balabagan.
Lt. Col. Tino Maslan, Marine Battalion Landing Team-5 (MBLT-5) commander, said the shootout broke out when Deniega and his two cohorts opened fire, prompting the Marines and the police to return fire.
Maslan said the injured Deniega was rushed to Dr. Serapio Montañe Hospital in neighboring Malabang town but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician. His two cohorts managed to escape.
Authorities recovered a .38 caliber revolver with ammunition, a grenade, and some 1.6 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated value of PHP10,880. (PNA)
