Money courier slain

A courier of a Mabini money changing shop was killed while two Manila policemen were wounded during a daring robbery in front of the Manila City Hall late yesterday afternoon.

Senior Superintendent Ernesto Ibay, chief of the Manila City Hall Special Operations Group, said the courier, Edwin Patricio, 26, of 1511 Mabini Street, aboard a plateless red Kawasaki motorcycle, was passing through the Kalaw-bound service road in front of the Manila City Hall coming from Binondo, Manila at about 5:45 p.m. when the robbers, aboard a green Honda Civic and a motorcycle suddenly cut his path.

Almost immediately, the gunmen opened fire at Patricio and his back-up security identified as Police Officer 3 Priscilo Tungol of the Tondo Police Station who was aboard a green Yamaha motorcycle with plate number TL-6627.

According to Senior Police Officer 1 Leo Limbaga, a member of the SOG and one of the responding policemen, the gunmen shot the courier once in the chest, grabbed his backpack containing an undetermined amount of cash and then shot him again in the chest before boarding the green Honda car.

Tungol was shot in the abdomen and was taken to the Philippine General Hospital.

It was learned that Patricio had just withdrawn the money from a bank in Binondo and was about to deliver it to the Edcel Money Changing Shop in Mabini when the incident happened.

Limbaga said he and other members of the Western Police District gave chase but were stopped near P. Burgos Street when the suspects exploded a grenade. Wounded in the explosion was Police Officer 3 Damaso River.

Police said the suspects escaped through Intramuros towards Roxas Boulevard. Recovered at the scene were three empty 9 mm shells, a caliber .45 shell and an M16 shell.