Friday, June 01, 2007
Philippine police to deploy bus marshals after deadly shootout with robbers (01:05 p.m.)
MANILA -- Undercover police agents will soon protect bus passengers in the Philippines under a new plan to curb violent crime, an official said Friday.
The need to bolster security on public transportation became evident after a brazen bus robbery in Manila on Thursday that left five dead, Quezon City police Director Magtanggol Gatdula said.
Three suspects, the bus driver and a passenger were killed after six robbers held up a bus in Manila's financial district. When police tried to stop the moving bus, they fatally shot the driver and a passenger. A highway chase involving another car followed before three of the suspects were killed in a shootout. The other three suspects were arrested, Gatdula said.
He said marshals have been deployed on buses in the past and the scheme would be revived soon.
Bus drivers who are in danger could also use their hazard lights to signal trouble, Gatdula advised, or use other hidden alarms to alert authorities. (AP) |
