3 killed in Laguna shooting

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Laguna—A police civilian asset was shot dead and two of his assailants were later killed by pursuing policemen in Biñan City, this province, an hour past noon on Friday.

An initial report from provincial police director Senior Supt. Pascual Muñoz said the first fatality, a certain Jun Asero, was shot dead by three unidentified men at around 1:20 p.m. along the national highway in Barangay (village) Canlalay.

Senior Insp. Vicente Cabatingan, chief of the Laguna Special Task Group, confirmed in a phone interview that Asero was a civilian police asset. “Let’s just say he was helping us,” he said.

In a text message, Muñoz said two policemen, identified only as PO3 Zapata and PO1 Vilar, were both nearby and responded quickly to the shooting. Zapata was assigned to the National Capital Regional Police Office but is a resident of the city, while Vilar was assigned at the Biñan police station.

A gunfight ensued between the policemen and the fleeing suspects, resulting in the death of two of Asero’s assailants. The third gunman was able to escape onboard a motorcycle, prompting a police pursuit operation in the vicinity, Muñoz said. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon