3 killed, 3 injured in robbery-holdup at Batangas hotel

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines–Three persons were killed while three others were wounded in a robbery at a hotel in Batangas City in the small hours of Wednesday, police said.

Superintendent Nicolas Torre III, Batangas City police chief, identified one of those killed only as Donna, a cashier at the El Richland Hotel in in Barangay Mahabang Parang, Batangas City.

Torre said two unidentified suspected robbers were killed apparently in a shootout between the robbers and the hotel’s owner, Noel Cantos, and again with responding policemen.

He identified the injured suspected robber as Israel Aquino, 18, and two hotel room boys as Christian Jay Velia, 18, and Justine Macalintal, although how the two were wounded was not immediately clear.

Details of the robbery—such as how much, if any, was taken, which of the robbers shot the hotel’s cashier, and how and when the two room boys were wounded—were not immediately available as an investigation was still underway.

According to Torre, Cantos told investigators he left the hotel at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday to pick up someone at the Batangas pier. On his way there, Cantos realized that he had forgotten something so he drove back to the hotel. He called the hotel several times until finally someone picked up the receiver and he heard the cashier, whom he identified only as Donna, crying for help.

“Donna shouted, ‘Tulungan niyo kami!’ (Please help us),” said Cantos. Then, Cantos said, he heard several gunshots at the other end of the line.

Cantos then readied his firearm and, upon arrival at the hotel entrance, chanced upon three suspects on two motorcycles still parked on the driveway.

Torre said the rider of one motorcycle fired at Cantos, who fired back, hitting and killing the shooter on the spot.

The two other suspects tried to flee upon seeing the responding policemen. One went for the perimeter fence and was shot in the knee, forcing him to surrender, Torre said. The other chose to fight it out with the police and was killed, Torre added.

Recovered from the suspects were two .45-caliber and one 9-mm firearms.

Torre said Donna was killed by gunshots to the head and stomach. He did not elaborate, however, saying that an investigation was ongoing.

He said of the alleged robbers killed suffered a gunshot wound in the chest while the other had multiple gunshot wounds.

Torres said the three alleged robbers had come from Calamba, Laguna, and were “apparently first timers in robbery-holdup.”

The injured hotel room boys were taken to the Batangas Regional Hospital for treatment. Police were still trying to establish how they were wounded.