2 murder suspects killed in encounters with QC cops

MANILA, Philippines — Two men wanted for murder were killed several minutes apart in separate police operations on Saturday afternoon when they allegedly resisted arrest rather than surrender peacefully to Quezon City lawmen.

Melchor Lumuntad, of Dahlia Street, Barangay (village) Old Capitol Site in Diliman, was shot dead after he threatened to hurl a grenade at operatives of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) while Akmad Silongan, 32, of Kabuhayan Street, Barangay Gulod, was killed when he allegedly shot it out with QCPD Novaliches station personnel.

While Lumuntad was the subject of an arrest warrant for murder issued by Quezon City regional trial court branch 88 Judge Rosanna Fe Maglaya, the Novaliches police station men were after Silongan for questioning in the December 31 shooting to death of a Tahir Abdula.

Abdula had been shot and killed by one of two motorcycle riders while he was having breakfast with his wife at a canteen along Interior Masaya Street in Barangay Gulod, Novaliches.

The shooting of Lumuntad happened several minutes past 4 p.m., Saturday, along Dahlia Street, Old Capitol Site in Diliman.

PO2 Anthony Tejerero, case investigator, said that before the shooting, PO3 Juanito Felices as well as PO2s Ramil Langa and Randy Gandingco, all of the QCPD, had been deployed to serve an arrest warrant on Lumuntad who was previously sighted in the area.

The three policemen, accompanied by barangay peace and security officers (BPSOs), were headed to Lumuntad’s house when they crossed paths with the warrant subject who ran away. The policemen chased Lumuntad, introducing themselves and ordering him to stop.

Tejerero said that when Lumuntad was cornered along Dahlia Street, the suspect took out a fan knife and a fragmentation grenade, threatening to hurl the explosive at the policemen. Fearing for their lives, the policemen shot Lumuntad in the head and in the body to neutralize him.

The badly wounded Lumuntad was immediately brought to the East Avenue Medical Center but was pronounced dead on arrival by attending doctors.

Meanwhile, at around 4:30 p.m., along Florentina Street in Barangay Gulod, Novaliches, Akmad Silongan was killed in what was said to be a shootout with policemen.

SPO1 Pascual Fabreag, of the QCPD-CIDU, said that before the shooting, nine operatives of the Novaliches police station, headed by SPO1s Rodel Deogracias and Rodante Lalimarmo, were conducting follow-up operations on a December 31 killing when they were allegedly fired at by two men.

The unprovoked attack prompted the policemen to take cover and retaliate resulting in the wounding of one of the shooters, later identified as Silongan, while the other gunman escaped.

Silongan was declared dead on arrival by attending doctors of the Novaliches District Hospital from multiple bullet wounds in the body.

Fabreag said that a .45 pistol and several ammunition were recovered from Silongan.