Rape suspect killed in police ops

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A man wanted for rape was killed after he resisted arrest in a police operation at Barangay Tampalon, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental early Thursday.

Ricar Loberas of the said village was one of the most wanted persons in the province.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Mary Rose Pico, city police chief, said the arresting teams were approaching Loberas’s house when he allegedly fired at police operatives which resulted in a shootout.

The composite team led by the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), in coordination with Kabankalan City Police Station, and Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company, was supposed to serve two arrest warrants for rape when the shootout happened around 4 a.m.

One of the arrest warrants was issued by Judge Rodney Magbanua of Regional Trial Court Branch 61 in the city.

Pico said they had several attempts to serve the warrants against Loberas but were forced to coordinate with the AKG after Loberas proved difficult to arrest.

Pico said Loberas was previously jailed at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and when he was released, he allegedly organized a group that was responsible for the series of burglary incidents in different areas in the province.

He was notorious and dangerous, Pico said.

He was also tagged as the alleged mastermind behind the previous kidnapping of a woman in the province. But, the family did not pursue the filing of the case against him, after their daughter was released by the kidnappers, the city police chief added.

Authorities recovered from the scene a .9mm caliber pistol, five live ammunition, four empty shells of .9mm, .38 caliber revolver with three live ammunition, three ammunition of .38 caliber, an improvised tooter, two sachets of suspected shabu, aluminum foil, and a magazine of .9mm caliber pistol.

No other injuries were reported during the shootout. The suspect was alone in his house, Pico said.