3 jeep robbery suspects killed in shoot-out

Three men were killed  in a predawn shoot-out Thursday with policemen after they  robbed  passengers of a jeepney passing through  Quezon Boulevard in Manila.

Two of the suspects were killed instantly in the gunfight with policemen from Manila Police District (MPD) Sampaloc Station 4. The third man  was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Sampaloc from multiple bullet wounds in the body.

Poseurs

The three were identified by their victims as the same men who had posed as passengers and then robbed them while they were inside a passenger jeepney.

Senior Police Officer 2 Edmundo Cabal, case investigator, said  the incident happened at around 2:30 a.m. yesterday at the corner of Quezon and España Boulevards in Sampaloc.

Cabal added  that before the incident, three men had flagged down a Cubao-bound passenger jeepney  across the Quiapo Church.

Upon reaching the underpass at Quezon Boulevard, the three men declared a hold-up,  brandishing handguns and a fan knife at the  passengers.

Joyce Perez, 34, and her househelp,  28-year-old Jessy Gavar, told police investigators that while the three men were divesting them of  their belongings, one of them kept on saying, “Pera  lang ang kailangan namin. Ibigay lang niyo ang kailangan niyong ibigay (It’s only money that we want. Just give us what you need to give).”

After taking the passengers’ valuables, the suspects got off the jeepney and casually walked away.

The passengers later flagged a cruising patrol of  MPD Sampaloc Station 4 and told  them about their encounter with the armed men..

Police caught up with the three men at the corner of Quezon and España Boulevards.

Retaliation

But instead of giving up, the suspects fired at the lawmen, prompting the latter to retaliate.

Two of the suspects were killed instantly in the ensuing shoot-out.

Their other companion who was wounded  was rushed to the nearest hospital, but died before reaching the medical facility.

MPD personnel recovered from the slain suspects  a .38 caliber revolver, a .22 caliber pistol, a fan knife, and a brown pouch containing P740 in  cash and a makeup kit.