3 robbers shot dead in Laguna

Three suspected robbers were killed in a shootout with police officers in San Pablo City in Laguna yesterday, hours after they had robbed a businessman of P1,500 cash and other valuables.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Laguna police director, said the slain robbers yielded two loaded caliber .38 revolvers and a grenade.

Rojas said police also recovered the suspects’ getaway vehicle, a Honda wave tricycle with its license plate covered with masking tape.

Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad, director of the Traffic Management Group (TMG), said the slain suspects belonged to the Ruelas robbery gang tagged in pawnshop and thrift bank heists, “akyat-bahay” incidents, highway robberies and cellular phone snatchings in Southern Tagalog.

Rojas said businessman Romeo Formales was walking in Barangay Sto. Nino in San Pablo City at around 11:30 p.m. Monday when the suspects held him up at gunpoint.

Formales reported the incident to the police and described the suspects, including the vehicle they were using.

At about 2:30 a.m., the suspects were spotted on board their getaway vehicle in Barangay Concepcion. When policemen flagged them down, they instead opened fire, hitting a TMG mobile car but missing any of the police officers, Rojas said. 

The policemen returned fire with automatic weapons. Palad said scene of the crime operatives failed to find any document that could help identify the slain suspects.

The getaway vehicle was found to be registered under the name of one Michael Alfaro. Formales’ wallet was found in the suspects’ possession. – Non Alquitran, Ed Amoroso and Arnell Ozaeta