Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives (SOCO) of Lucena City inspect the bullet-riddled white van that sped past a police checkpoint along the Maharlika Highway in Candelaria, Quezon, Monday morning. (Photo by LINUS GUARDIAN ESCANDOR)

CANDELARIA, Quezon – Eight armed men believed to be members of an organized crime group were killed in an encounter with lawmen manning a Commission on Elections checkpoint along the Maharlika Highway in Sitio Taguan, Barangay Bukal Sur in this town early Monday morning.

Police identified four of the suspects as Samuel Yunico, Jojo Salazar, Roger Baylon, and Mauricio Ilumnen.

The four others remained unidentified as of press time.

Senior Supt. Francis Elmo Sarona, head of the Quezon provincial police, said seven of the suspects died on the spot while one was wounded and was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

He said the eight men were aboard a Hi-Ace van when the vehicle rammed the Comelec checkpoint in front of the 415th Provincial Police Mobile Group headquarters and fired at the lawmen, hitting a marked police vehicle at around 5:10 a.m. Monday.

“They did not yield to the checkpoint; they even rammed the wooden barricade before firing at our men manning the checkpoint,” said Sarona in a phone interview, adding that the vehicle was travelling southbound and appeared to be heading to Lucena City.

The lawmen retaliated and a firefight that lasted for about 15 minutes ensued.

After the smoke cleared, investigators recovered some P800,000 worth of checks, one Carbine rifle, one hand grenade, three caliber .45 pistols and one caliber .38 revolver and one bottle of wine from the suspects.

Sarona said the Quezon Police Office is still conducting verification as to the suspected involvement of the men in either kidnapping or robbery.

Sarona added that the van used by the men appeared to be stolen because the license plate does not match the vehicle model.

Police and military units started setting up checkpoints across the country as part of the implementation of the nationwide gun ban aimed at reducing the number of election-related violent incidents for the May 10 elections this year. (With a report from Aaron Recuenco)