National Most Wanted killed in Kalinga shootout

KALINGA, Philippines — A 64-year-old man listed as a National Most Wanted for multiple murder was killed in a shootout with police serving an arrest warrant in Kalinga province on Tuesday, authorities said.

Police said the suspect, who carried a ₱1 million reward from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, opened fire when officers attempted to serve a warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 25 in Tabuk City, which carried no bail.

The operation, conducted by the Police Regional Office–Cordillera (PRO CAR), followed a tip from a civilian that led officers to the suspect’s hideout in Sitio Tocpao, Barangay Poblacion, Lubuagan, after days of monitoring.

An exchange of gunfire erupted as police approached the residence, leaving the suspect mortally wounded. He was taken to the Kalinga District Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

One police officer was critically injured after being shot in the upper left portion of the head and was transferred to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City for further treatment, police said.

Authorities recovered an M16 rifle with an M203 grenade launcher, an M14 rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, multiple magazines, 19 M203 grenades, and one spent grenade shell from the scene.

The evidence was turned over to Scene of the Crime Operatives in Kalinga.

Police said the suspect had been linked to a series of violent incidents spanning decades, including a 1994 multiple killing, the death of a religious leader in 1998, an assault in 2004, and attacks against barangay officials in 2013.

PRO CAR said the operation underscored cooperation between law enforcement and the community and vowed to continue intensified manhunt efforts across the Cordillera region.