Killed on the spot were SPO2 Zosimo Jocson, SPO1 Emmanuel Arce, 49, and traffic enforcer Fortunato Culianan, 38. A third policeman, Senior Inspector Jose Valdez, 55, died in the hospital.
Police said the robbers broke into the N and L jewelry shop at the Marian building at about 1 p.m. and carted away a still undetermined amount of cash and valuables. The heist was over in five minutes.
The slain policemen were reportedly rushing out of their outpost, some 100 meters away, to respond to the heist when the robbers gunned them down. — James Mananghaya, Jaime Laude