SPO4 William Dam, head of the responding team, said they were caught off-guard as the suspects fired shots at them along Sultan Kudarat street in Maharlika Village, where the suspects had been spotted by a tipster.
The eight-man team was not able to catch any of the suspects after they fled. Some escaped on board a stolen vehicle while others entered a residential area made up of shanties, according to police.
No one was reported hurt in the shootout.
Lawmen, however, were able to recover an owner-type jeep (XCY-109) with a dismantled motorcycle and a 14-inch television set inside. Police said they believe the items were earlier stolen by the suspects.
The owner of the jeep, Verdera Satana, claimed his stolen vehicle at the police station yesterday. She said it was taken by the still unidentified suspects in Signal Village on April 6 . The dismantled motorcycle, on the other hand, was reported stolen last month.
According to Dam, the suspects were about to deliver the stolen vehicle to a buyer in the area.
"If only there were lamp posts in the area, we could have arrested them," Dam said. He said the lack of ample lighting in the area has made it difficult for lawmen to catch criminals during operations there. — Edu Punay