Legazpi: An official of a notorious criminal group operating in Albay province has surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). In a press conference on Monday, NBI-Legazpi Senior Agent Felipe Jimenez said a ground commander of the Concepcion Criminal Gang Group, known as 'Marasigan,' surrendered over the weekend.
According to Philippines News Agency, the group also operated in Camarines Sur, Quezon, and Laguna. 'Wala na ang Gilbert Concepcion Group, mananahimik na ang Albay lalo na sa Libon, Camarines Sur, Quezon province at Laguna (The Gilbert Concepcion Group is gone. Albay will now be at peace, especially in Libon, Camarines Sur, Quezon province, and Laguna),' Jimenez said. He noted that Marasigan joined the group in 2017 as a member and eventually became a ground commander. Jimenez highlighted Marasigan's role in securing the perimeter to protect the group from attacks or arrests.
Jimenez further disclosed that Marasigan has nine arrest warrants for various crimes, including murder, kidnapping with serious illegal detention, attempted murder, and kidnapping. Following the death of Concepcion, Marasigan took charge of the group's firearms, which he later hid in the mountains. Jimenez mentioned that eight high-powered arms were retrieved from separate locations in Barangay Alongong and Sitio Pinagbadilan in Barangay Buga.
In an interview, Marasigan expressed that he became part of the group due to a friend's influence and was unable to leave after learning about the group's hideout and members. He decided to surrender to start anew and cited the difficult living conditions in the mountains and concerns for his family's welfare as motivating factors. 'Mahirap po ang buhay doon sa bundok, atsaka ang pamilya ko, 'yung dalawang anak at 'yung asawa ko ay naawa na ako at takot akong mamatay ayoko pang mamatay dahil gusto ko pang masubaybayan ang pamilya ko hanggang sa paglaki (Life in the mountains was hard. I also kept thinking about my family, my two children and my wife. I felt pity for them and I was scared of dying. I don't want to die yet because I still want to be there for my family and watch my children grow up),' Marasigan said.
