Police Officer 2 Bienvenido Batac, 26, detailed at the Cainta Police Station, resident of 1899 Palawan Street, Sampaloc, Manila was shot in the head and chest while trying to arrest two robbers inside an FX Taxi.
Also killed was a still unidentified robber described as barefoot, 25 to 30 years old, 5’5 tall, with regular build, fair complexion, sporting regular haircut and clad in a black t-shirt and brown pants.
Batac and the unidentified robbers shot it out and both died due to multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of the body.
According to driver Eduardo Regines, 39, of New Marikina, Marikina City, he was driving his STV Mega Transport Mega Taxi from Montalban, Rizal bound for Cubao. Regines said the robbers announced the heist as they were about to turn to Katipunan Road from Marcos Highway.
Investigation showed Batac was on his way home from duty at around 11 p.m. when he chanced upon the robbery being carried out by the two robbers.
Senior Police Officer 3 Restituto De Leon, officer on case, said that from the jeepney terminal in K-Mart market, the policeman rushed towards the taxi and was able to shoot and kill the still unidentified holdup man and seriously wound the other, identified as Jun Abienza.
De Leon said the suspects, armed with 9mm pistols, poked their handguns at the driver and passengers and divested them of cash and valuables.
One passenger identified as Mark Quijano sustained a gunshot wound in his right leg during the robbery and was brought to the Quirino Labor Hospital together with the injured suspect, Abienza, who is in critical condition at the hospital. – Pia Lee-Brago