MANILA, Philippines – Six robbers shot dead a businessman-lawyer who had just withdrawn P1 million from a bank and two policemen who came to his aid in Paco, Manila at around 10 a.m. Monday. Three civilians were also injured in the incident.

The Manila Police District immediately released artist’s sketches of two of the suspects. One was described as 40 to 43 years old, at least 5’5” tall; the other was about 30 to 40 years old and 5’6” to 5’7” in height. Both carried cal. .45 guns.

Alfred Dy, co-owner of the Anlud Metal Recycling Corp. at Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City, was on board his Honda CRV after withdrawing money from the Banco de Oro-Angel Linao branch when a motorcycle blocked his path at Pedro Gil Street corner Merced at around 10 a.m.

Witnesses told the police that three “bystanders” suddenly fired at the vehicle. One of them broke one of the van’s windows with a hammer and grabbed the victim’s bag containing P1 million he had withdrawn from the bank. Dy was later taken to the Makati Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival.

Two off-duty policemen from the nearby Paz Paco police station – PO2 Francisco Neri and PO3 Jose Ysmael Santos – heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene. But three other armed men, apparently the robbers’ cohorts, appeared out of nowhere and shot the two policemen.

Neri died on the spot while Santos was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Maynila. Three civilians, Janine Pauline Delaosa, 15; Arturo Ferrer, 67, and Rizza Aquino, 25, were also hit by stray bullets.

MPD director, Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales, said they would exert all efforts to get the suspects especially since two of his men were killed on the job.

“The police is supposed to protect the people from criminals, but now they’re the ones being killed,” he said. With Nicole Batac