Two slain Manila cops recommended for posthumous promotions

The two Manila policemen slain in a shootout with heavily armed robbers in Sta. Cruz last Thursday were recommended for posthumous promotions by their superior officer.

Chief Inspector Rufino Bautista, commander of the Western Police District’s District Mobile Patrol Unit, said the gallantry and courage shown by SPO2 Ricardo Roxas and PO2 Romeo Napolis in risking their life in fighting criminal elements is "worthy of awards and commendations, including posthumous promotions to the next higher rank."

In his report to WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong, Bautista narrated that Roxas and Napolis were on board mobile car No. 304 patrolling Masangkay street in Sta. Cruz when they were informed of an ongoing robbery holdup along Severino Reyes street. The two cops immediately proceeded to the area and exchanged shots with at least four heavily-armed suspects.

When the smoke cleared, the two policemen were killed while two passengers of a Toyota Revo (XDU-423) sustained bullet wounds.

The injured persons were identified as Robbie Albay and Virgilio Butlay, both employees of Edzen Money Changer Shop. Albay was wounded in the leg and body while Butlay was shot in the back.

The two employees had just withdrawn a large amount of money from the Metrobank-Masangkay branch.

The suspects left their maroon Mitsubishi Adventure (WPP-412) and commandeered a white L-300 van (XDY-191) bringing along a wounded companion.

The wounded suspect was later transferred to a red Sedan which sped off towards Oroquieta street.

Recovered inside the suspects’ abandoned vehicle were two M-16 rifles and several loaded magazines.

Investigator SPO2 Edison Bertoldo turned over to Zenaida Artuz, owner of Edzen Money Changer, some P4.7 million reportedly left by the robbery suspects in their haste to escape.

Bertoldo said the suspects, whose cartographic sketches were released to the media yesterday, spoke Cebuano dialect.

Meanwhile, probers are still facing a blank wall on the slaying of a police security escort of Public Works Secretary Florante Soriquez in Intramuros, some three hours before the robbery-holdup in Sta. Cruz.

Investigator SPO2 Steve Casimiro said no witness has come forward to shed light on the slaying of SPO2 Eduardo Becera of Camp Crame’s Police Security and Protection Office. Becera’s colleagues at the DPWH are also not aware if he had enemies, Casimiro said.

Becera was shot in the head by a lone gunman while walking along the sidewalk on his way to the DPWH office in Bonifacio Drive. Witnesses described the gunman as in his mid-20s, at least 5’2" tall, slim, with fair complexion and wearing a baseball cap and eyeglasses.

Police ruled out robbery as the motive for the shooting since the victim’s service firearm and belongings were not taken by the gunman.