Ilocos town police chief, 2 others killed in shootout

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines - The police chief of Marcos town and two others were killed in a shootout with robbers yesterday morning.

Police identified their slain colleagues as Inspector Naldo Aromin, the town police chief, and SPO3 Danny Ballesteros, who clashed with armed men who robbed a Coca Cola bottling warehouse in Barangay Lydia of said town.

The robbery group, according to Ilocos police director Chief Superintendent Franklin Bucayu, divested the firm of some P500,000.

The incident, which also killed one of the robbery suspects, took place around 10 a.m. yesterday.

Reports indicated that the two policemen, along with several other colleagues, were responding to reports of robbery-holdup in the area when they chanced upon the fleeing armed suspects. A chase and exchange of gunfire then ensued.

Bucayu said hot-pursuit operations are ongoing against the suspects who fled towards the town’s hilly area.

“(Marcos town) Mayor Salvador Pillos and (provincial police director) Senior Superintendent Marlou Chan are now in the area supervising the conduct of follow-up operations,” he said.