Suspect slain, 2 hurt in shootout with Cavite cops

LUCENA CITY––An armed suspected criminal died, and his two companions injured, in an alleged shootout Thursday with the police in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, police said.

Colonel Marlon Santos, Cavite provincial police chief, reported that the exchange of fire happened after a group of policemen flagged down early Thursday a taxi without a plate number along Carlos Trinidad Avenue in Barangay Salawag.

Instead of stopping, the vehicle sped off, and its occupants reportedly fired at the policemen, who shot back.

The three occupants of the vehicle, later identified as Jose Pepito Rusco, Abdul Samie Sultan, and Domingo Macunay, suffered gunshot wounds and were rushed to the Pagamutan ng Dasmariñas.

However, Macunay died before reaching the hospital.

The police reportedly recovered a fragmentation hand grenade, a caliber 38 revolver with four bullets, two caliber .45 pistols with 18 bullets, two plastic sachets of shabu (crystal meth), and a sachet of dried marijuana leaves from the suspects’ vehicle.

Santos also reported that police units in the cities of Bacoor and Trece Martires and the towns of Amadeo, Kawit, and General Mariano Marcos conducted buy-bust operations in the past 24 hours and collared eight suspected drug pushers.

Authorities seized 14 sachets of shabu and six sachets of marijuana. The report did not specify the volume and street value of the confiscated illegal drugs.

The police said they also collared four wanted criminals and eight suspects for minor and major criminal offenses.

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