TWO suspected passenger bus robbers were killed after they engaged the policemen in a shootout in Makati City Wednesday night.
Makati Police Chief Gilbert Cruz identified the fatalities as Noel Martinez of David Street, Pasay City, and certain Ceasario, who both belonged to the notorious Nickelado gang.
One of the policemen, Rizaldy Abalos, was injured during the incident.
Posing as commuters, the suspects - along with an undetermined number of cohorts - had boarded a Marlea bus with body number 8089 along the southbound lane of Edsa in Guadalupe, Makati and declared a holdup at 11:10 p.m. Wednesday.
"They suddenly began shouting from the back, holdup to! Holdup to!" recalled victim Engellau Flores, 42, a chemist from the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC).
Another victim, Norland Saribay, said one of the suspects collected valuables from passengers while another one held the bus driver at gunpoint.
The suspects alighted from the bus upon reaching Edsa-Mantrade flyover in San Lorenzo also in the city where a Makati Anti-Crime Unit (Macu) police team was conducting surveillance.
The policemen led by Juanito Rabanal went after the fleeing gunmen, but the suspects fired at them until a gunfight ensued that later resulted in the death of the two suspects.
Scene of the Crime Office (Soco) policemen recovered an MK2 fragmentation hand grenade, a caliber .45 pistol and several empty shells from a pistol of the same caliber.
Also recovered was the loot consisting of 14 cellular phones, nine wallets and two watches.
There were about 20 passengers aboard the Baclaran-bound bus when the suspects struck. (AH/Sunnex)
