Another crime suspect slain by Laguna cops

SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna, Philippines — Another crime suspect was killed in what police described as a gunfight in Biñan City early Wednesday, over 12 hours after another shootout in the same city left two people dead.

Laguna police director Senior Superintendent Romulo Sapitula said in a text message the latest shootout happened around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay (village) San Francisco.

Superintendent Noel Aliño, Biñan City police chief, said in a telephone interview the man was being pursued by members of the Cavite police’s Highway Patrol Group after he allegedly stole a motorcycle.

The suspect, fleeing on the allegedly stolen vehicle, drove past a police checkpoint in Carmona, Cavite, before crossing the provincial boundary into Biñan City in Laguna, he said.

Aliño said the alleged thief, who still had to be identified, was cornered by the Biñan police and was killed in a brief gunfight. “He (the suspect) was the first to fire shots,” Aliño said.

Prior to this incident, two other men suspected by the police to be members of a robbery group were killed around noon Tuesday in Barangay Wawa, also in Biñan.

Aliño said the two slain men, both of whom also remained unidentified, were with two other companions who managed to escape.

The four had robbed a man before attempting to flee the city in a maroon sports utility vehicle.

He said Tuesday’s incident had nothing to do with Wednesday’s.

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