Shootout in Pasig: 2 hurt

An Army captain and a rookie policeman were wounded in a late-night shootout in Pasig City Thursday.

Both Army Captain Rodrigo Laroza, assigned at the Armed Forces General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo and a resident of Pandacan, Manila, and PO1 Alian Angara, 24, of Barnagay Palatiw, Pasig City, sustained gunshot wounds in the right leg.

Angara, assigned at the Mandaluyong City police station, is being treated at the Rizal Medical Center while Laroza was brought to the Pasig City General Hospital. The two protagonists gave different versions of the incident.

Angara told the police that he was riding in tandem on a motorbike with his friend, Reynaldo Pagtama, when he chanced upon Laroza’s drunken group at the corner of Tramo and Ortigas Avenue at about 10:30 a.m.

He said Laroza shouted invectives at them, prompting him to get off the motorcycle. Angara said he introduced himself as a police officer and tried to accost the soldier. However, to his surprise, Laroza allegedly pulled out his .45 caliber pistol and fired at the policeman twice. Angara said he pulled out his gun and fired back.

But Laroza said he and his five companions were crossing the street when Angara shouted at them. He said Angara then got off the bike he was on and pointed a gun at his group while berating them. – Non Alquitran