MANILA, Philippines ? Police killed three suspected robbers who allegedly shot it out with authorities in Quezon City before dawn Tuesday, police said.

The still unidentified suspects exchanged shots with police who were pursuing them along Congressional Avenue at around 1 a.m., according to city police director Chief Superintendent Elmo San Diego.

The armed men reportedly robbed taxi driver Joel Villana in the village of Bahay Toro. The suspects, after taking the earnings of Villana amounting to P1,900, also drove off on his taxi.

Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo Jr, chief of the city District Police Intelligence Operating Unit (DPIOU), said that patrolling police were alerted and on seeing the taxi tried to flag it down.

However instead of stopping, the suspects sped off, resulting to a car chase.

But their driver lost control of the taxi, causing it to hit a tree on the center island.

Pedrozo said the suspects then alighted from the vehicle and scampered to different directions as they fired towards pursuing policemen.

A brief shootout ensued, resulting to the death of the three suspects.

Pedrozo said that while authorities have yet to determine the identities of the suspects, he described two of them as between 30 to 35 years old, wearing white t-shirt and undershirt, respectively.

The other suspect was between 25 to 30 years old, in yellow t-shirt and blue short pants.

Police recovered from the crime scene two cal. 38 revolvers and a homemade handgun or ?sumpak.?