Bonnet Gang member killed in shootout

A suspected member of the notorious Bonnet Gang group was killed during a sudden encounter with elements of the Taguig Municipal police on Tuesday evening.

Police Officer 2 Ehron Balauat, case investigator, said the six-man police team led by Senior Police Officer 4 William Dam shot to death an unidentified man in a shootout in Maharlika Village, Taguig Municipality. However, five of the suspect’s cohorts were able to escape.

Police said they were unable to identify the slain suspect because he was not carrying any identification card.

"The fighting was intense that the front windshield of the mobile the policemen were using was riddled with bullets and our policemen were forced to fire back at the suspects," says Balauat.

Police Officer 3 Resty Pondales, of Police Community Precinct 2, said a male person called their station at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday saying that armed men were seen in Maharlika Village. SPO4 Dam immediately assembled his policemen and went to patrol the area.

Upon reaching Mindanao Ave. they saw six men wearing bonnet covers on their faces, alighting from three motorcycles. As they were approaching them, the gang fired at the police mobile, destroying its front windshield.

The police fired back and the suspects scampered.

"We were not able to follow the five other suspects who immediately boarded their motorcycles and went off in different directions. From the dead suspect, the police recovered a grenade and a .38 caliber revolver.

"The suspects might have come from Quezon City or Quiapo but chose Maharlika Village as their assembly point.
Residents in the area said they did not know the suspects," Dam said. — Evelyn Macairan