6 suspects slain in shootouts

MANILA, Philippines — Six still unidentified kidnapping and robbery suspects were killed in alleged shootouts with police officers in Quezon City yesterday.

Two of the men reportedly robbed employees of a massage parlor along Quirino Highway and a food stall along Rebisco Road before they were cornered along Old  Sauyo Road in Barangay Sauyo at around 1 a.m. yesterday.

Investigators recovered two .38 caliber revolvers, a shoulder bag containing P19,480, a cell phone, assorted receipts and two USB ports from the suspects.

Around four hours later, four men who  kidnapped a Chinese man were killed during a raid on their hideout in Barangay Holy Spirit.

The suspects, believed to be remnants of the Waray-Waray kidnap group, reportedly opened fire at police officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) during the raid.

Lt. Col. Villaflor Bannawagan, who heads the AKG’s Luzon Field Unit, said they rescued Zhi Fu, whom the suspects kidnapped hours earlier.

Zhi’s companion, Li Cheng, told probers they were standing in front of the UP Town Center in Barangay UP Campus when the suspects arrived at the scene, forced Zhi at gunpoint into a sedan and sped away.

Li reported the incident to the AKG at Camp Crame. The AKG said the kidnappers initially demanded P20 million in ransom, but later agreed to P5 million.

The AKG then launched a rescue operation after tracing the kidnappers’ hideout.

Probers are looking for leads on the suspects’ identities.