PNP rules out rubout

The Philippine National Police (PNP) refuted yesterday accusations of a rubout in the killing of five suspected holdup men in Quezon City over the weekend.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil insisted the suspects were killed in a gunbattle with cops and not summarily executed as claimed in some reports.

"It was not a rubout at all. One of the suspects fired at the policemen," he said.

Bataoil pointed out that PO1 Aldie Monteroza was killed while PO1 Benito de Vera was wounded in the incident that took place at around 3 p.m. in Project 8 last Sunday.

Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco and top PNP officials were scheduled to visit De Vera at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City yesterday afternoon.

Police have identified the fatalities as Eufemio Pitulan, Sergs Pitulan, Edward Pitulan, Felomina Pitulan and Augusto Torres.

A police patrol clashed with the suspects in the suburban neighborhood following a tip-off about armed men in the area. They were fired upon by gunmen riding in a van during a chase from General street in Barangay Bahay Toro in Project 8 to Congressional Road.

One of the gunmen was wounded and another was captured after a brief chase, he said.

Bataoil also belied reports that no firearms was seized from the suspects as claimed by the lone survivor.

Police recovered four pistols and a grenade belonging to the gunmen after the mid-afternoon clash, which panicked residents but caused no civilian injuries.

"Based on the investigation, it is a shootout, not a rubout," he said.

Police said that five men killed in the shootout belonged to a criminal syndicate responsible for a series of car thefts and robberies in the metropolis.

Sources said two of the slain suspects were members of the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM) while another was a member of the Guardians. They did not elaborate.

Authorities said that the armed men were on board a stolen Hyundai Besta van (RVT-701) and were about to allegedly pull-out a heist somewhere along Project 8 when responding policemen arrived to thwart them.

Investigators believe the suspects belong to a criminal group operating in Quezon City and Antipolo. – With Matthew Estabillo