Manila cops kill 2 rob suspects

MANILA, Philippines - Manila police officers killed two suspected robbers during an alleged shootout near the University of Santo Tomas Hospital in Sampaloc, Manila before dawn yesterday.

According to a police report, a team from the Manila Police District Station 4 were patrolling the area when they spotted two unidentified men on a motorcycle without a license plate at around 2:45 a.m. The police officers followed the two men, who turned right on Piy Margal street.

When the police officers caught up with the two men, the driver stopped and drew a hand grenade from his bag while the back rider alighted and shot at the lawmen.

The police officers fired back, killing the two men. Investigators recovered an MK2 fragmentation grenade, a .38 caliber revolver, 10 spent shells, and two cartridges as well as an Apple iPod taken from April Hainto, 25.

At the time of the reported shootout, Hainto was at the Police Station 4 to report that she had been robbed along Lacson street. She identified the slain men as the ones who robbed her.