3 dead, 3 wounded in Batangas inn heist

BATANGAS, Philippines – The cashier of a lodging inn in Batangas City and two robbery suspects were killed while three others – two other employees and a third suspect – were wounded in a heist before dawn yesterday, police said.

Killed were Donna Blancaflor, 18, cashier of El Richland Travel Lodge in Barangay Sorosoro Karsada, Batangas City, and the two robbery suspects who remained unidentified as of press time.

The third suspect, Israel Aquino, was wounded along with lodging inn employees Christian Jay Velila, 18, and Justine Macalintal.

Police said the owner of the lodging inn forgot something and called up the front desk, and heard Blancaflor on the background asking for help. He then heard successive gunshots.

The owner promptly rushed back to the lodging inn and chanced upon the suspects on board a motorcycle. He fired shots, killing one of the three suspects.

The two other suspects went back to the inn, triggering a standoff as policemen rushed to the scene.

Police said one of the two went to another compound but was shot and wounded. The last one, said to be the robbery group’s leader, hid inside the inn but was fatally shot.

Police said one of the guns found in the suspects’ possession was seized from a security guard of a Tanauan City restaurant that was robbed recently. – With Ed Amoroso