2 theft suspects slain in Manila shootout

MANILA, Philippines - Two of three suspected motorcycle thieves were killed when they reportedly engaged policemen in a shootout in Sampaloc, Manila Wednesday night.

Police recorded a recent rash of motorcycle thefts in Metro Manila, prompting Sampaloc police station chief Superintendent Jemar Modequillo to use unattended motorcycles as “bait” to lure thieves.

Modequillo and his men monitored at a distance a motorcycle they parked along C.M. Recto Avenue at past 8 p.m. Minutes later, three men on a blue Honda Wave motorcycle (ZN-3361) passed by. They suddenly made a U-turn when they noticed the unattended motorcycle and two of the three men started to tinker with the vehicle.

Modequillo and his men approached the two suspects and introduced themselves as policemen, but one of the thieves shot at them. The lawmen returned fire, while the two other men sped off, leaving their companion behind. He was killed in the shootout.

Modequillo radioed his men to set up a dragnet for the arrest of the fleeing thieves, who were later spotted along Piy Margal near the corner of A.H. Lacson streets in Sampaloc. However, instead of surrendering, the suspects engaged the police in a shootout. When the smoke cleared, another man lay dead while his companion managed to escape on board the motorcycle.

Two .38 caliber revolvers, three shells from an M-16 Armalite, 10 shells from a .9 mm handgun, a shell from a .45 caliber pistol and an improvised picklock were recovered at the site of the encounters.