POLICE operatives arrested in Nueva Ecija the alleged leader and four members of a gun-for-hire syndicate operating in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon and Central Luzon, the PNP announced yesterday.
“The arrest of the leader and members of the Hernandez Group is a significant blow to organized crime in our country,” said PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.
Arrested were group leader Ronnie Hernandez, of Rosario, Batangas, and Alfred Ledezma, Joey Pangilinan, Myra Hernandez, and Liezel Awing, residents of Batangas and Quezon.
“This operation reflects the relentless efforts of our police forces to ensure the safety and security of our communities. We will continue to be vigilant in our fight against criminal elements and bring them to justice,” said
The suspects, on board a Toyota Vios car, were intercepted at a checkpoint put up by operatives of police units under the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office last Sunday morning in Barangay Sto. Rosario in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija.
Seized from them were an M16 rifle, two cal. 45 pistols, two hand grenades, magazines, ammunition, and a small sachet of shabu.
A statement from the PNP Public Information Office said “the Hernandez Group has been implicated in numerous killings in Batangas and Quezon provinces. Their area of operation extended across Region 4A (Calabarzon), the National Capital Region, and Region 3 (Central Luzon.”
It said the arrest of the suspects and the confiscation of their weapons “will undoubtedly disrupt their criminal activities and contribute to maintaining peace and order in the affected areas.
“The PNP’s successful operation serves as a reminder of its unwavering commitment to maintaining law and order and protecting the Filipino people from the threats posed by organized crime groups,” it added.
Charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and illegal drugs were filed against the suspects before the Nueva Ecija Provincial Prosecutor’s Office last Monday.
