Superintendent Procopio Lipana, chief of the Central Police District-Criminal Investigation Unit, identified the slain suspects in the Novaliches encounter as PO3 Leo Palisoc, 43, assigned at the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame and Nazareno Ramones, 47, a member of the Department of Public Safety and Traffic Management of Caloocan City.
At about 1 a.m., a certain Danny Laqie reported to the police that three armed men held him up at a dimly lit corner in Sta. Monica, Novaliches district. Responding policemen chased the suspects who boarded a Don Mariano bus toward SM Fairview.
Police cornered the suspects at the bus terminal in Barangay Kaligayahan, but instead of giving up, they chose to shoot it out with responding officers. Two of the suspects were killed while the third escaped.
On Commonwealth Avenue, a roving police team killed two armed men who fired at them during a routine security check.
Reports said the police mobile patrol chanced upon five suspicious looking men in front of the Columbia Garden Building, Westbound Lane on Commonwealth Avenue about 2:30 a.m.
As the officers approached the group, one suspect opened fire, prompting the lawmen to fire back. Two were killed while the three others while three managed to escape.
Police recovered two caliber .38 revolvers from the slain suspects.
In Paco, Manila, a suspected robber was killed when a five-man robbery gang engaged responding policemen in a shootout yesterday morning.
The fatality was identified as Paolo Decena, 23, of San Andres Bukid, Manila. A caliber .38 revolver was recovered from him. He was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Maynila due to multiple bullet wounds in the body.
Police said Decena was a member of a robbery gang operating along Quirino Avenue in Paco, the site of numerous holdup incidents in the past.
Investigations showed the gang held up a "Bravette" taxicab (PWC-625) driven by Danilo Peyra as the vehicle stopped at a traffic light at the corner of Qurino Avenue and Pedro Gil street at around 4:30 a.m.
The suspects forcibly opened the taxi’s doors at gunpoint and tried to grab the bag of one of the woman-passengers. Not losing his composure, the taxi driver stepped on the gas and drove off leaving the robbers behind. He immediately reported the incident to the nearest police station he found along the way.
Operatives of the San Andres police community precinct responded and chanced upon the suspects at the previous area, apparently waiting for another victim.
However, as the officers moved in to question the group, they were fired upon, prompting the police to shoot back. After an exchange of gunfire, the fatality lay wounded while his companions managed to escape.
Western Police District (WPD) director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong lauded the operatives of the San Andres PCP composed of Inspector Carlito Jimenez, SPO3 Antonio Espadero, SPO2 Ernesto Ramis, SPO1 Benjamin Pabillore and PO2 Arnaldo Angeles for their immediate response which led to the neutralization of one of the members of the dreaded robbery gang in the area.
"Our police officers in San Andres PCP did a good job in preventing the suspected robbers from committing the crime. Our men shall continue with their swift action to the public in need of police assistance," Bulaong said.
The WPD is now tracking down the four remaining suspects, according to Bulaong. – With Nestor Etolle