Duterte justice: Robbery, slay suspect dead

DAVAO CITY—A suspect in the robbery-killing of a taxi driver here had been shot dead just hours after Mayor Rodrigo Duterte promised to deliver swift justice to the family of the cab driver who fell victim to a rare case of armed robbery here.

On Aug. 10, taxi driver Rommel Pareño was killed after being robbed by two armed suspects. On Aug. 13, after receiving reports about a strong lead on the suspects, a furious Duterte said justice will be served before dawn of Aug. 15.

“We owe it to the family of people like Pareño who was honestly earning a living for his family to ensure that justice is done,” Duterte said. A few hours after the mayor gave the statement, one of the suspects was killed by policemen as he tried to pull off another robbery.

The Davao City Police Office said suspect Rey Anthony Caroro was shot while trading gunshots with policemen after taking the day’s earnings of another taxi driver in Matina area here.

Caroro and his cohort robbed cab driver Leoneto Galan on Thursday along Tulip Drive in Juna Subdivision.

Galan immediately reported the robbery to a unit of policemen on patrol who gave chase to Caroro and the other suspect.

The Davao City police said Caroro died from gunshot wounds but his companion was able to escape.

Authorities recovered from Caroro a .357-caliber revolver with three bullets, a folding knife and four sachets of suspected “shabu.”

Local police are also looking for the suspects in the killing of 25-year-old mixed martial arts fighter Ale Cali here last Sunday. Known as one of the safest city in the world, the local government of Davao said crimes cannot be totally prevented but it can be addressed by rapid response from law enforcement units. Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao