LEGAZPI CITY – The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO5) confirmed on Thursday the death of Gilbert Concepcion, leader of the Concepcion Criminal Group operating in Albay and one of his cohorts, in a shootout with lawmen Wednesday night in Parañaque City.
In an interview, Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon, PRO5 regional director, said the suspect fired upon authorities as he was about to be served an arrest warrant in Barangay San Martin De Porres, which led to a firefight that resulted in his death.
"We were able to monitor his location in Parañaque yesterday. Immediately, our operatives proceeded to the location and were about to serve a warrant of arrest when the suspect fired and operatives successfully neutralized Gilbert Concepcion and another one whose identity is still being verified," Dizon said.
He said personnel of PRO5, the National Capital Region Police Office, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Army launched the operation.
Recovered from the crime scene were three firearms of different calibers, 10 magazines, and five fired cartridge cases.
Concepcion is included in the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)'s list of most wanted persons with a reward of PHP420,000 to anyone who could give information regarding his whereabouts
"While we commend the exceptional courage and dedication displayed by our personnel who were involved in this operation, we also recognize the invaluable support and cooperation of the people of our community," Dizon said.
He said the neutralization of the notorious gang leader will boost peace and order, as well as tourism in the province of Albay.
Before forming a criminal group, Concepcion was a former communist rebel who became an Army soldier but went on absence without leave and was eventually dismissed from the service.
He faced numerous charges including two counts of kidnapping with murder, murder and rape.
Notorious
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said Concepcion was known for carrying out brutal executions in the Bicol region, with two victims having their body parts chopped.
In a press conference at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Taguig City, Acorda said he was tagged in the 2006 killing of two brothers in Libon town in Albay over a land dispute.
He said Concepcion is also the suspect in the killing of the mother of these siblings, who filed the complaint against him.
Acorda added Concepcion is also responsible for the series of killings of some barangay officials in Libon town, including Barangay San Jose village chief Alex Repato, on Aug. 28, 2023.
NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Concepcion was also implicated in the killing of an engineer 12 years ago in Libon town.
Nartatez said the victim engineer was supposed to appear in a Senate inquiry in 2012.
“We are profiling what happened to that case among the different cases that he committed or he was involved, including rumored to be involved. He was rumored to have killed, whether documented or undocumented killings, 100, more than 100. So that is how notorious this man was,” he added. (PNA)
