2 men kill painter, hurt 3 more in Marikina shootout

MANILA, Philippines - Two men reportedly killed a painter then wounded a policeman and two bystanders, including a 10-year-old boy, when they shot it out with law enforcers sent to arrest them in Barangay Tumana, Marikina City before dawn yesterday.

Nassib Dimaagal, 33, and Adrian dela Cruz, surrendered less than an hour after barricading themselves in their house on Orange street in Doña Petra Subdivision.

House painter Arnel Borre, 33, had just parked his motorcycle in front of his house on Ilaw street in the same subdivision just before 2 a.m. when the two suspects allegedly approached him from behind, said Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel, Eastern Police District director. A witness said Dimaagal reportedly shot Borre in the head with a .45 caliber pistol.

At around 4 a.m., police officers from the Barangay Tumana precinct and the Marikina police’s intelligence division, headed by Chief Inspector Eduardo Gillera, surrounded the suspects’ house to arrest them for Borre’s killing.

The police officers were about to barge into the house when the suspects started shooting, Laurel said. Police Officer 2 Jason Villanueva was hit in the stomach and right thigh, while bystanders Michael Anadia, 28, and Merwin Undaloc, 10, also suffered gunshot wounds.

All three have been declared out of danger by doctors at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Laurel said.

The policemen engaged the suspects in a shootout, said Superintendent Remus Medina, EPD intelligence chief. “When our policemen made a move, the suspects would open fire. So our assault on their position was delayed,” he said in an interview.

Senior Superintendent Antonio Gumiran, EPD deputy chief for administration, called off the assault. Using a megaphone, he assured the suspects of their safety should they surrender. After several minutes, the suspects emerged from the house.

Laurel said Dela Cruz, whose right leg was wounded, yielded an improvised .22 caliber rifle loaded with eight bullets. Dimaagal surrendered a .45 caliber pistol with six bullets, according to Senior Police Officer 1 Charles Pacquing Jr.

Laurel ordered the EPD crime laboratory to subject the seized firearms to ballistics tests to determine whether they were used in other crimes.

Dimaagal and Dela Cruz are being interrogated by Marikina police, he added.