FOUR armed motorcycle thieves were killed in separate gunbattles with pursuing agents of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group in San Rafael, Bulacan and Calauan, Laguna Tuesday morning and yesterday morning, a report to PNP chief , General Debold M. Sinas said.
Two of the suspects were killed in a firefight with operatives of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 4-A in Barangay Balayhangin in Calauan, Laguna at 3:15 a.m. yesterday, said PNP-HPG director, Brigadier Gen. Alexander C. Tagum.
Tagum said the shootout erupted hours after the RHPU4-A headed by Lieutenant Colonel Samson Belmonte received a report that two unidentified armed men stole at gunpoint the motorcycle of one Crisanto delos Santos along the national road in Barangay Lamot 2, Calauan around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The official said the RHPU4-A, joined by operatives from the Calauan Municipal Police Station and the 1st Laguna Provincial Mobile Force Company, pursued the suspects and were able to locate their hideout in Purok 3, Bgy. Balayhangin, where they hid the motorbike they stole from delos Santos.
Tagum said that while approaching the motorcycle thieves’ hideout, the officers were met with gunfire which hit Staff Sergeant Diosdado Casupang Jr. in the ankle. The other operatives returned fire killing the two suspects on the spot.
Recovered from the slain suspects were a loaded caliber .45 pistol and a cal. .38 revolver. Also found at the scene were the stolen Rusi motorcycle with plate no. 041-524547 and a white and red Mio motorcycle without license plate.
The two other still unidentified suspects on the other hand were gunned down in a firefight with PNP-HPG officers along the Bypass Road in Bgy. San Roque in San Rafael, Bulacan 3 a.m. Tuesday.
An investigation showed the two were on board a stolen Yamaha Mio motorcycle when they traded shots with HPG operatives who launched a dragnet to get them after an alarm was flashed for the interception of the suspects.
Tagum said local HPG and Bulacan police operatives sealed off all possible exit routes in the area and eventually caught up with the duo.
He added that the two refused to heed orders for them to surrender and fired shots at officers, hitting the front bumper of an HPG mobile car before fleeing towards Bgy. San Roque where they were cornered and slain in a shootout.
