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Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Cop, 2 'robbers' killed in shootout
MANILA -- A policeman and two suspected bank robbers were killed while 15 other persons, including two other police officers and a television reporter, were injured in a shootout Tuesday in Valenzuela City.
Six other suspected members of a robbery gang that allegedly held up the Banco de Oro along the McArthur Highway in Barangay Dalandanan earlier Tuesday morning were arrested.
President Arroyo gave on-the-spot promotions to the two injured policemen as well as financial assistance to them and the family of the police officer who died.
The six who were arrested and the two others who died were allegedly part of a nine-man group that barged inside the bank, disarmed two security guards and demanded money from the cashiers. Police believed one other suspect managed to escape.
The robbers allegedly all people inside the bank to lay face down and later fled on board a Kia van.
Police caught up with the fleeing robbers who fired at the policeman, who in turn fired back.
Policemen chased the robbers until Paso de Blas near the Malinta Exit of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) where they alighted from their vehicle in different directions.
The suspected robbers hurled a hand grenade to stop the policemen from pursuing them. The ensuing explosion wounded two policemen, a television reporter and bystanders in the area.
Police identified those who died as PO2 Vic Zabala of the Mobile Patrol Division of the Valenzuela City Police and a certain JR, reportedly a former soldier and the alleged leader of the Waray-Waray holdup gang.
The third casualty could not be identified as of Thursday afternoon.
The identities of the six others arrested by police were also not known.
Injured during the encounter between the police and suspected robbers were Police Insp. Roderick Juan; PO1 Fernando Mariano; ABS-CBN television news reporter Doland Castro; and barangay residents Alfred Maravilla, Roger de Gracio, Remedios Ong, James Edward Perez, Humprey Genito, Romie Bermejo, Rolando Go, Diatom Lastimosa, Eduardo Sadier, Neri Tan and Rey de Guia. All got their injuries from the grenade hurled by one of the robbers.
Police said those wounded victims were brought to the Valenzuela General Hospital for treatment of shrapnel wounds.
Arroyo visited Juan and Mariano at the Fatima Hospital Tuesday to check on their conditions. Arroyo handed Mariano a P50,000 check. Juan is still in the intensive care unit of the hospital after sustaining three gunshot wounds.
She expressed her sympathies to the two officers' families and sent condolences to the family of Zabala, through his brother Cayetano. The President also handed the medal of bravery to Zabala's brother, including a check for P100,000.
In a briefing by PNP Director General Edgardo Aglipay at the Fatima Hospital, he said the 15 bank robbers are members of the Patchoy-Waray-Waray Gang and Ranger Gang.
Aside form bank robberies, Aglipay said the suspects are also involved in several hijacking and kidnap for ransom activities. (JFF/JMR)
(December 15, 2004 issue)
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