2 suspected car thieves slain in Laguna

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Santa Cruz, Laguna—Two suspected robbers were slain in what police claim was an encounter with law officers manning a checkpoint in Biñan City, Laguna early Tuesday.

Superintendent Leo Luna, Biñan police chief, told the Inquirer in a telephone interview that instead of stopping at a  checkpoint in the vicinity of  Barangays San Antonio and Canlalay, the two men, who were on motorcycles without license plates, sped through and fired at policemen who had tried to flag them down.

The policemen returned fired and gave chase, resulting in a brief gunfight at St. Francis 5 subdivision in Barangay Canlalay, Luna said.

He said the two men, whose identities had not yet been established,  died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Police recovered two .38-caliber pistols and the motorcycles which they believed were stolen.