A high-stakes police operation to capture one of the Philippines’ most wanted fugitives ended in a deadly shootout Wednesday, leaving the suspect dead and a police officer fighting for his life.
The suspect, 64-year-old Corey Dickpus, wanted for a decades-long string of murders, was killed after allegedly opening fire on officers attempting to serve an arrest warrant at his residence in Sitio Tocpao, Kalinga province.
The individual was classified by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as a “National Most Wanted Person” with a 1-million-peso ($17,500) bounty on his head.
According to a statement from the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PRO CAR), the gunfight erupted when operatives arrived at the suspect’s home following a tip from a local resident. During the exchange, the suspect sustained fatal wounds and was declared dead on arrival at Kalinga District Hospital.
One police officer was critically injured in the encounter, sustaining a gunshot wound to the upper left side of his head. Officials said the officer is being transferred to Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City for emergency specialized treatment.
Investigators reported recovering a significant cache of weaponry from the scene, including an M16 rifle equipped with an M203 grenade launcher, an M14 rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, and nineteen M203 grenades and multiple magazines.
The suspect’s criminal history in the region dates back over 30 years.
Authorities cited his involvement in a 1994 massacre that left six people dead, the 1998 killing of a religious leader, and a 2013 ambush of village officials.
The warrant for his arrest, which carried no recommendation for bail, was issued by the Regional Trial Court in Tabuk City for multiple counts of murder and frustrated murder.
Regional police officials characterized the operation as a testament to community cooperation but noted the high cost of the encounter.
Forensic teams remain on-site, and the recovered arsenal has been taken into custody for processing. NLMonitor