MANILA, Philippines - Two of three robbery-carjack suspects preying on taxicab drivers were killed in a shootout with Quezon City Police District operatives after a brief chase early yesterday in Quezon City.
The police arrested six suspects in two weeks in QCPD’s drive against robbery and carjacking in the Quezon Memorial Circle and the streets around it.
QCPD director, Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, said two of the three suspects were killed in an encounter with his men at about 3:30 a.m, yesterday, along North Avenue, near the Quezon City Memorial Circle in Quezon City.
Mantele said one of the suspects was identified as Jippy Cardenas of 5 Kapitbisig street, Sitio Mabilog in Barangay Culiat through an MGE Transport identification card he carried with him.
The other suspect remains unidentified and was described to be between 25 to 35 of age, approximately 5”4’ tall and wearing white t-shirt and maong pants.
District Police Intelligence Operation Unit chief, Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo said one of the suspects flagged down an ECT taxi (TXY-309) driven by Ricky Aujero, 41, of17 Altar Street, Batasan Hills, Quezon City at the Elliptical Road and asked to be taken to Barangay Krus Na Ligas in Diliman.
While traveling along C.P. Garcia Avenue, two other male suspects boarded the same taxi and at gunpoint declared a hold up and divested the cab driver, Aujero, of his earnings amounting to P3,700. The suspects commandeered Aujero’s taxi while he was blindfolded, hogtied and was shoved into the taxi’s trunk which was left partly open.
DPIOU operatives who were conducting anti-criminality patrol along North Avenue spotted the taxi traveling in the same direction. Police had noticed its compartment half closed and saw a hogtied person inside that caught their attention and became suspicious.
The policemen sounded their siren while ordering the suspects to stop for verification. The suspects drove off instead of heeding the police.
The lawmen were able to block the path of the taxi which hit the sidewalk gutter forcing the suspects to alight while firing at the pursuing cops. The operatives returned fire hitting two of the suspects. Cardenas was killed on the spot while the other suspect was rushed to the East Avenue Medical Center but was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician. The third suspect who took the wheel from Aujero eluded arrest.
Aujero expressed his appreciation to the operatives who rescued him.
Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered from the slain suspects an improvised handgun and a .22 caliber revolver with live bullets and empty shells including Aujero’s black wallet containing his earnings.