‘They’re Waray’

The four men who were killed in a shootout with Marikina policemen last Monday turned out to be members of the Waray-Waray kidnap and robbery gang operating in Metro Manila, police said yesterday.

This developed after a woman went to authorities and identified her husband, Victoriano Dagami, 24, of Diliman, Quezon City, and a companion, Jerry Panuncio, 36, as among those killed in an encounter with police at a checkpoint in Barangay Concepcion Uno last July 21.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Marikina City police chief, said Marlyn Dagami, who had been looking for her husband, was taken to the local funeral parlor where she identified the two bodies.

Rojas said the woman broke into tears upon seeing her dead husband.

"Sinabi ko na sa ’yong tumigil ka na, ayaw mo pang maniwala," Rojas quoted her as saying.

Another of the slain suspects, Emiliano Elalne, 49, of Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City, had been identified through his driver’s license recovered from his wallet.

The fourth suspect remains unidentified. According to Rojas, the four slain robbers were natives of Tacloban, Leyte.

Reports reaching Rojas’ office showed that the four were among the suspects who robbed a bank inside the Ever Gotesco mall on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City last month.

"We are also checking reports that they are involved in kidnap for ransom activities," said Rojas.

The suspects had been casing a 24-hour convenience store in Barangay Cocnepcion Uno when policemen manning the Police Community Precinct (PCP) in Barangay Concepcion Uno were tipped off of their presence.

Chief inspector Elmer Guevarra, PCP commander, ordered the setting up of a checkpoint in the area.

One taxi ignored the checkpoint and its passengers started firing at policemen. Guevarra and his men returned the fire, killing the suspects on the spot.

Rojas said the suspects yielded a 12-guage shotgun, a caliber .38 revolver, a homemade caliber .38 revolver, two hand grenades, two fan knives and a clutch bag containing dried marijuana leaves. – Non Alquitran