2 robbery suspects killed by Manila cops in shootout

Two motorcycle-riding men, one of them suspected to be a member of a notorious street gang, were killed late Wednesday night in a shootout with Manila police who had  responded to a distress call from a robbery victim.

One of the suspects was described to be between 35 and 40 years old, five-foot-six inches tall, dark-skinned, of medium build, with a tattoo of the jail gang “Bahala Na” on his right shoulder.

The other was described to be between 30 and 35 years old, five-foot-four inches tall, slim, dark-skinned. The words   “Clemente Sunga,” and “Tuklaw Lita” were  tattooed  on his chest and on his leg.

Both men died instantly from multiple bullet wounds in the  gunfight with  mobile patrol unit operatives of  Manila Police District Sampaloc Station 4.

The incident happened at around 11:30 p.m.  at the corner of España Boulevard and Algeciras Street, Barangay 450 Zone 45 in Sampaloc.

SPO2 Edmundo Cabal, of the homicide section, said  that  minutes before the incident, Carmiline Palacol, 20, of Paco, Manila, was waiting for a passenger jeepney  at the corner of Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard and Pureza Street  when a black motorcycle with no license plates and with two men on board stopped in front of her.

The men   whipped out  handguns and  took Palacol’s purse containing a  mobile phone and P500 in cash.

The victim immediately  reported the robbery to the Sampaloc police station.

Responding policemen quickly  spotted the suspects along España Boulevard.  But when they accosted the duo, the latter allegedly fired at their pursuers, prompting them to retaliate.

Two .38 caliber revolvers and Palacol’s  purse were recovered   from the slain men who were positively identified by victim as the ones  who  staged the robbery.