PUJ holdup suspect killed in shootout

A robbery-holdup suspect was killed and another one was wounded when they traded shots with police officers in Parañaque City as they were about to victimize passengers of a public utility jeepney (PUJ) last Friday.

Superintendent Jesus Castro, Southern Police District (SPD)-Operations and Plans Division chief, identified the slain suspect as Dominic Resterio of Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque.

His wounded cohort was identified as Mario Escosa, a resident of , Sampaguita Hills, Barangay Marcelo Green, also in Parañaque.

Castro said Police Sub-station 4 in Parañaque received information last Friday that the two suspects were planning to stage another robbery. An alert was issued to all patrol officers.

At around 3 p.m., a team led by Senior Police Officer 4 Mujlani Dugasan was patrolling Sampaguita street in Barangay San Antonio Parañaque City when he spotted the two suspects.

When the suspects saw the approaching lawmen, one of them pulled out a handgun and started firing at the team.

"The policemen retaliated and in the process shot Resterio in the abdomen. Escosa suffered a gunshot wound in the arm.

Although wounded, Resterio managed to flee and was able to seek medical attention at the South Superhighway Hospital (SSH). He was later transferred to the Parañaque City Community Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Escosa, on the other hand, was taken to the SSH for treatment.

Officers recovered from the suspects, an Armscor caliber .38 revolver and a hand grenade," Castro said.

Charges of robbery-holdup would be filed against Escosa.

"Our police records show that there was a standing warrant of arrest for Resterio and that both suspects were positively identified as the men behind a robbery-holdup incident last Thursday," Castro said.

In that incident a certain Walter Tillo of Parañaque City lost P30,000 in cash and valuables to the suspects.

In Taguig, a barangay security force apprehended one of the three robbery-holdup men who allegedly divested two male persons of their valuables using a toy gun at a dimly lit street last Friday evening.

Superintendent Ramon Reyes, Taguig municipal police chief, said robbery-holdup charges would be filed against 28-year-old Joseph Canaria, a resident of Block 58 Lot 4 Purok 2, Barangay Upper Bicutan, Taguig.

Police are currently conducting a follow-up operation to arrest the other two suspects.

Holdup victims Rocky Trinanes, 20, of Barangay Upper Bicutan and his companion Joselito Remponi, 19, of CAA Compound in Las Piñas City positively identified Canaria as one of the men who robbed them.

Initial police investigation showed that at around 9:45 p.m. last Friday, Trinanes and Remponi were walking along Polan street in Purok 4 when Canaria and two other men blocked their path.

The suspects were armed with a bladed weapon and a toy gun, which the victims mistook for the real thing because of the poor lighting in the area.

When the suspects announced a holdup, the victims surrendered their cellular phones and cash. The suspects then fled.

Trinanes and Remponi decided to look for the suspects and saw Canaria inside a billiard hall.

They immediately alerted the Barangay Upper Bicutan security force, which in turn arrested Canaria and recovered a toy handgun.