Cops, robbers in firefight

Elements of the District Mobile Patrol Unit of the Western Police District clashed early yesterday morning with suspected members of the "Martilyo" robbery gang in Ermita, Manila, leaving one suspect dead and a policeman wounded.

According to a police report, a prowl car manned by Senior Police Officer 1 Remegio Menguito and Senior Police Officer 1 Florencio Vicedo were cruising along A. Mabini Street near Arquiza Street at about 1:45 a.m. when they spotted a group of men acting suspiciously aboard a gray Nissan Maxima with plate number EAA-285.

When the policemen decided to accost the suspects, the sedan sped off towards Roxas Boulevard, prompting the police officers to give chase. Police said that upon reaching Roxas Boulevard the suspects opened fire at the pursuing prowl car. The suspects then made a U-turn at Padre Faura and headed towards P. Ocampo Street (formerly Vito Cruz) where they were blocked by two other prowl cars.

As they were blocked, the suspects, armed with caliber .45 pistols and an M16 rifle alighted from their car and fired at the chasing prowl car, hitting its right front door, blinker and radiator. Officers Vicedo and Menguito returned fire hitting two suspects later identified as Renato Cahanap, 34, and Ernesto Sarmiento, 24, of 2165 Raymundo Street, San Andres, Manila.

Cahanap and Sarmiento managed to run away during the shootout after they hurled a fragmentation grenade at one of the blocking prowl cars manned by Police Inspector Edwin Reyes, Senior Police Officer 2 Johnny Gaspar and Police Officer 1 Eustaquio Catchin. Fortunately, the grenade did not explode.

Police said Sarmiento, who was armed with a caliber .45 pistol, was wounded during the shootout while Cahanap managed to run towards the East Asia Restaurant at the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex.

According to police, Cahanap traded shots with pursuing policemen with a caliber. 45 pistol and an M16 rifle. Police said Cahanap was later found dead inside the comfort room of the restaurant.

Aside from Sarmiento, also injured in the shooting were bystander Julie Guadenia, 21, of 412 FTI Tenement, Taguig and Police Officer 1 Rodel Platon. Reports said Platon and Guadenia were grazed by bullets in the head and chest.

During a mopping-up operation, police said, policemen picked up suspects Mariolito Abaracen, 36, of 838 Apelo Cruz Extension, Malibay, Pasay City; Enrique Mata, 35, of 37 Rajah Humabon Street, Navotas and Bernard Delara, of Lourdes Street, Pasay City after they were spotted by bystanders trying to board a Couple’s taxi cab during the shootout.

Recovered at the crime scene were M16 and caliber .45 shells and several magazines. A check of the suspect’s car led to the discovery of a steel hammer. Members of the "Martilyo" (hammer) robbery gang usually stage their heists by storming jewelry stores and bashing the glass display cases with steel hammers.