2 ‘Highway Boys’ members killed in shootout with cops in Rizal

SAN PEDRO CITY – Two suspected members of a notorious crime gang in Rizal province were killed following a brief chase with policemen in Cainta town early morning Monday.

The police have not yet identified the slain men but said they were members of the “Highway Boys,” described earlier by authorities as an “all around” group because of its involvement in robberies and killings. The group was also known for pouring concrete over dead bodies of their victims in order to cover its tracks.

According to a report from the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (Calabarzon) police, members of the provincial Highway Patrol Group (HPG) were patrolling in Barangay (village) San Andres when they spotted a Toyota Fortuner that had not been registered since 2015.

The police flagged down the vehicle but instead of stopping, the suspects sped past authorities towards Taytay town. A brief chase followed.

HPG members then called for back-up from the Cainta and Rizal intelligence police units. Consequently, an exchange of gunfire occurred.

Policemen shot and killed two of the suspects, but two others, one of them the alleged leader named Barry, managed to escape during the shootout.

In 2016, police also encountered the Highway Boys in Cainta in an operation that left four suspects dead and 13 arrested. /kga