THE Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained that its personnel acted within established rules of engagement during a shootout with armed robbery suspects at the southbound lane of the Bocaue Toll Plaza along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Bulacan on Friday, June 26, 2026.
The firefight, which unfolded in broad daylight, alarmed motorists after a series of gunshots forced vehicles to stop at the busy toll plaza.
Videos taken by motorists and later circulated online showed several men, believed to be police operatives, carrying long firearms before subduing and arresting the suspects at the scene.
According to PNP Public Information Office (PIO) acting chief Police Colonel Allen Rae Co, the operation targeted individuals aboard a van who were allegedly responsible for a series of robberies in Batangas, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Tarlac.
However, the suspects allegedly opened fire on the operatives, prompting police to return fire.
Co said officers were compelled to neutralize the threat to protect both law enforcers and civilians in the area.
“Our police force’s primordial concern is always the safety of the public, but we had to do it this way because they were already being fired upon. We had to quickly neutralize the threat to the police officers as well as to the general public,” Co said in a mix of Tagalog and English during a press conference.
Among the incidents linked to the group were the robbery of an electronic payment machine at a convenience store, an attempted robbery in Magalang, Pampanga, where a security guard was reportedly shot after confronting the suspects, and another robbery at a convenience store in Tarlac.
Authorities said the group had been under surveillance for more than three weeks, with investigators tracking the van allegedly used in the crimes.
Police monitored the suspects’ movements in Pangasinan and Tarlac before intercepting them in Bulacan on Friday.
Co explained that police officers are authorized to use force in self-defense when confronted with a lethal threat, adding that the exchange of gunfire occurred only after the suspects allegedly fired first.
While he acknowledged that the encounter took place in a crowded area, Co said police had no intention of engaging the suspects at the toll plaza. He said the confrontation occurred there because the operatives came under fire.
Three suspects were wounded during the shootout and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The arrested suspects are now facing charges of frustrated murder, direct assault, violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)