The prime suspect in the 2019 murder of four policemen in Negros Oriental died in a joint police operation in Mandaluyong City today, February 18.
The police identified the fatality as Ryan Sandag Manguilimutan, who was known as “James” and “Ka Ignacio” in the underground movement.
Philippine National Police chief, Police General Debold Sinas, in a statement, said Manguilimutan died in a shootout with the composite team of arresting officers from the Special Action Force, the lead unit, Intelligence Group, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, National Capital Region Police Office, and Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.
The police recovered from the suspect’s possession a Canik pistol, which was issued to one of the murdered policemen, three magazines with ammunition, 39 9mm ammunition, a brown sling bag containing his personal belongings, and four empty shells of a 9mm pistol.
Manguilimutan was the subject of warrants of arrest for murder, theft, and violation of the International Humanitarian Law, the statement said.
“Manguilimutan was recruited by the Northern Negros Front (NNF) rebel group sometime in 2013. He was transferred to the Regional Strike Force (RSF) of the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros-Cebu-Bohol-Siquijor (KR NCBS) in 2016,” Sinas said.
On July 18, 2019, four intelligence personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Region 7 were supposed to meet their contact, who was later found to have an alleged link with the New People’s Army, at Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town.
The four policemen, who disguised themselves as foresters on board three motorcycles, were waylaid by 30 to 40 armed suspects on their way to the house of their contact and were quickly disarmed.
The police have already arrested several suspects linked to the ambush of the policemen.*