Rookie cop killed in shoot-out with robbers

A ROOKIE policeman died following a shoot-out with two suspected robbers, one of whom was critically wounded, on Wednesday night in Taguig City.

Senior Supt. Tomas Apolinario, city police chief, said PO1 Venerando Pantino, assigned at the National Capital Region Police Office died while he was being treated at Taguig-Pateros District Hospital.

Pantino sustained multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of the body, he added.

One of the robbery suspects, Crisdel Manansala, a resident of San Felipe Street in Central Bicutan, remains under observation at a hospital also due to multiple gunshot wounds.

On the other hand, his cohort managed to escape after he threatened to fire at several people who wanted to go after him, the police said.

Investigation showed that the shoot-out happened at around 6 p.m. on Bayabas Street in Western Bicutan.

Apolinario said the two men had tried to rob an eatery owned by Pantino’s in-laws but they were stopped by the victim who happened to be in the area at that time.

One of the robbery suspects, however, shot the policeman although he managed to draw his firearm and hit one of them before he fell.