Crime gang leader, 7 cohorts fall in Tarlac

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – The suspected leader and seven members of the notorious Galman gang, tagged in drug trafficking, gunrunning, gun-for-hire and robberies in Tarlac and surrounding areas, were arrested after a brief gunfight with lawmen in Tarlac City yesterday morning.

Chief Inspector Luis Ventura, head of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Tarlac, identified the arrested suspects as gang leader Rolando Pascual, alias Galman, his brothers Renato and Roberto, and henchmen Cesar Gali, Wilson Valencia, Ryan Yumul, Arvin Limos, and Rodel Labutong.

Ventura said Pascual was ranked second in Tarlac City’s drug watch list.

He said the arrests came as a CIDG team served a search warrant issued by Tarlac Judge Ramon Pamular at Pascual’s residence in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tarlac City amid reports that illegal firearms were being kept there.

The CIDG team stumbled on Pascual and his henchmen apparently in a shabu session. Two of Pascual’s men shot it out with the policemen but later surrendered, Ventura said.

Seized from the suspects were a .45-caliber pistol, a shotgun, a .22-caliber rifle, 23 assorted live bullets, seven spent .45-caliber bullets, more than 15 grams of suspected shabu contained in nine plastic sachets, a digital weighing scale, drug paraphernalia, three newly used aluminum foils, and P16,610 in cash.