Six people, including a police woman, were killed while four were injured in an encounter with alleged kidnappers in Laguna on Tuesday morning.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said the encounter between police and alleged abductors of a man from Quezon, happened along Maharlika Highway, Barangay San Nicolas, San Pablo City, Laguna around 6 am.

Dela Rosa said the joint elements of the police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) and Candelaria municipal police of Quezon Province were conducting follow up operation on the kidnapping of Renato Arguelles in Candelaria, Quezon on Monday when they encountered the suspects.

“It is said the kidnappers accepted the counter offer of the family of Mr. Arguelles in the amount of eight hundred thousand pesos,” he said.

Dela Rosa said the encounter resulted in the death of PO1 Sarah Jane Andal and wounding of PO1 Mendoza, PO1 Orlanes, and PO1 Villaflor on the part of the operatives and one other unidentified private individual.

“They were brought to San Pablo Medical Center for treatment,” he said.

Dela Rosa said five suspects were also killed during the clash, four of them were identified through their police uniforms in camouflage as SPO2 Adalla, SPO3 Fernandez, PO3 Dizon and PO2 Rebadulla.Dela Rosa said these were not policemen.

Arguelles, 40, was rescued with minor injuries he sustained during shooting.

Arguelles, a drug suspect and high-value target of the Calabarzon regional police, was kidnapped at around 6 p.m. Monday at his home in Candelaria.

He said government authorities also recovered firearms and explosives from the suspects after the clash.

Recovered items include one Thompson rifle, two caliber .45, two hand grenade, and assorted ammunition. Robina Asido