Rob suspect slain while casing armored vehicles

MANILA, Philippines - A suspected robber was gunned down in an encounter with Quezon City policemen at a parking lot of a firm providing armored vehicle services at past midnight yesterday

Christopher Flores, 24, was dead on arrival at the Quezon City General Hospital from a gunshot wound in the body while his companion managed to escape, police said.

Quezon City Police District-Station 2 commander Superintendent Antonio Yara said Police Officer 2 Dennis Mangonon and PO1 Marlon Ponce were conducting routine patrol in the area when they spotted two men at a dimly lit portion of the parking lot on West Riverside street in Barangay Del Monte at around 12:30 a.m.

“It could be that the two suspects were conducting a surveillance of the armored vans being parked there; probably casing the vehicles and monitoring their routes and to whom they provide services,” Yarra said.

The two policemen pulled over but the two suspects started to run, prompting the lawmen to give chase.

Flores then pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and shot at the pursuing policemen, who fired back. Flores, who had been hit, still managed to run and slip into an alley, where policemen found him unconscious and rushed him to the hospital.   – Reinir Padua