(Eagle News) — A father and his son were killed in Tawi tawi after they shot it out with authorities who were about to arrest them for murder, the Philippine National Police said on Sunday, May 9.
According to the PNP, apart from Girang Lipae and Basil Lipae, also killed was an unidentified female after the shootout in Barangay Sipangkot in Sitangkai.
The authorities at that time were carrying an arrest warrant for multiple murder against the Lipaes when the father and son tandem fired at them, prompting the authorities to retaliate.
The warrant had been issued by Hakim Abdulwahid, Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court, 9th Judicial Region of Branch 5 of Bongao.
According to the PNP, the elder Lipae was also on the Top 5 Most Wanted Person of the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, while his son was the top 2 Most Wanted Person of the Languyan Municipal Police Station.
“Further investigation reveals that the subject personalities were notorious personalities in the province and involved in facilitating the entry of illegal drugs from Sabah, Malaysia to Tawi-Tawi,” the PNP said, adding that there were also reports the two forcibly took in their possession “houses to harvest the seaweeds and other marine goods of their neighbors.”
The PNP said the firefight lasted for five minutes.
Recovered from the Lipaes’ residence were one M1 Garand, one cal. 38 pistol, one FN FAL cal 7.62 rifle, among others.
“As a new chapter of leadership unfolds in the PNP, I will make sure that we will further intensify our campaign against all wanted persons across the country even if they hide in the smallest and farflung area, we will hunt them down and put them behind bars,” PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar added.