Manila cop, accomplice slain in Laguna robbery

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — Two suspected robbers, including a Manila policeman, were killed in a running gunbattle with Southern Tagalog police shortly after their group robbed a sales office of Smart Communications here the other night, police said.

Chief Superintendent Domingo Reyes, Southern Tagalog police director, identified those slain as PO1 Nelson Abarquez, 33, of Western Police District’s Station 4, found to be on AWOL (absent without official leave); and Jinggoy Beludo, 36, of Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City.

Their three cohorts — Clodualdo Prensica, 39; Paran Pacanza, 25; and Lamberto Pacanza, 35 were arrested. They were cornered after their car smashed onto an electric post along the highway.

The surviving suspects, who sustained bruises and contusions in different parts of the body, admitted their involvement in the robbery of JIJ Telecom, a sales office of Smart, in Barangay Anos this town.

The group barged into the JIJ Telecom office at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday, and at gunpoint, robbed spouses Rene and Melissa Lumactod, the shop’s owners, of P5,780 in cash and cellular telephones and accessories valued at P350,000.

Before escaping aboard a Toyota Corolla with license plate UYR 729, the suspects struck Rene with a pistol.

Alerted about the robbery, members of Task Force Calabarzon spotted the suspects cruising the national highway in Barangay Anos. Instead of yielding, the suspects shot it out, forcing the lawmen to return fire, instantly killing Abarquez, who was driving the Toyota Corolla, and Beludo, who was in the front seat.

The car went wayward, slamming onto an electric post. The three surviving suspects crawled out but were cornered by the pursuing lawmen.

Policemen recovered a 9 mm pistol, two fan knives, assorted bullets and magazines and the cellular phones and accessories stolen, from the three suspects.