FAKE PDEA, MEDIA DOCUMENTS FOUND FROM SLAIN PENTAGON KIDNAPPERS

FAKE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and media documents and
identification cards were found from three suspected members of the
notorious Pentagon Gang who were slain in a gunfight with PDEA and police
agents in General Santos City last Monday.

According to PDEA director Undersecretary Anselmo S. Avenido Jr., the fake
PDEA documents and media IDs could indicate that the suspects were posing
as either anti-narcotics agents or media personalities in conducting their
illicit activities in Central Mindanao.

Also recovered from the suspects were two cal. .45 pistols, a fragmentation
grenade, several bullets and magazines, about 20 grams of shabu, two fake
PDEA documents from the PDEA national office in Quezon City, three fake
PDEA National Office identification cards, two machine copies of PDEA
National Office letterhead, and three media IDs bearing the suspects' names
and pictures identifying them as staff members of the Free Nation News
based in Davao City.

The suspects were identified as Ricardo/Ricky Legayada; Anice de la Cruz
alias Tu, an alleged son-in-law of elusive Pentagon Gang leader Tahir
Alonto; and Sumanudin Tiago, the alleged leader of the three.

In a report to Avenido, PDEA Regional Office 12 director Supt. Efren B.
Alcuizar said they received intelligence reports that the three planned to
kidnap Jin Sung Kim, a Korean national residing at Orlino Resident in
Alabel, Sarangani in the guise of an anti-drug operation.

Members of the PDEA Region 12 and the General Santos City Police Office led
by Supt. Willie M. Dangane set up a checkpoint on the national highway in
Barangay Baluan, General Santos City early afternoon Monday and spotted the
suspects on board a black 1982 model Toyota Liftback approaching the
blockade at 6:20 p.m.

Alcuizar said the suspects fired at them when they signaled them to
surrender, prompting them to retaliate. A 10-minute gunbattle erupted
between the two groups resulting in the killing of the three.

No casualty was reported on the side of the police.