Friday, August 29, 2008 Cop, 'robber' killed in shootout
A POLICEMAN and a suspected bank robber died in a running gunbattle that started in Makati City and ended at the Mandaluyong-Manila boundary before Thursday noon.
Makati Police Chief Gilbert Cruz identified the policeman as Warren Balang assigned at the city's Police Community Precinct (PCP) 9-Mobile Patrol Unit who sustained a lone bullet wound in the chest.
Balang and other mobile patrol policemen were manning a checkpoint at the corner of J.P. Rizal and Makati avenues at 11:20 a.m. Thursday when they spotted a maroon Toyota Tamarraw FX with license plate TPN-485.
The vehicle was heavily tinted and not moving though the engine was running.
Balang was about to check the vehicle when one of the suspects shot him. The suspects immediately drove off. It prompted Balang's colleagues to give a chase.
During the car chase, the suspects fired an M-203 grenade launcher at the pursuing policemen upon reaching the boundary of Mandaluyong and Manila, hitting a house and a pickup in the area.
When they were cornered by the policemen, the suspects alighted from the vehicle and ran to Barangay Mabini.
Compoc, who was injured in the shootout, flagged down a tricycle and asked to be brought to the Lourdes Hospital. He died.
Mandaluyong Police Chief Carlos de Sagun said Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) policemen rushed an unidentified woman to a hospital for injuries.
A separate report said a six-year-old girl was also hospitalized during a follow-up operation when policemen tried to flush out the suspects supposedly hiding in Mabini village.
The girl, a daughter of barangay councilman Bernie Legaspi, had difficulty breathing because of the tear gas.
According to Sagun, the suspects managed to escape.
He said they were able to recover five M-16 rifles and ammunition inside the abandoned vehicle and will be checking with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for registration details.
He added that they are still conducting follow-up investigation to determine what robbery group the suspects belong to.
The Makati police set up checkpoints after receiving a tip that armed robbers were set to rob a branch of the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) at Makati Avenue.
Aside from the UCPB branch, a number of banks were also located along Makati Avenue. (AH/Sunnex)
