Killed by intruders

Criminal charges are now being readied against two police officers and two civilians after they shot and seriously wounded a taxi operator and his son during a heated argument after midnight yesterday in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Suspects SPO1 Imelda Salva, PO2 Marcelino Salac, both assigned at Camp Crame, and brothers Jong and Boy Pamintuan, are now detained at the Central Police District headquarters.

The victims, Pablo Sarmiento, 49, and his son Pablo Jr., 22, of Lot 11, Block 17, Lakandula street., Lucia, Novaliches, both suffered bullet wounds in the body and are now in critical condition at the Far Eastern University Hospital.

Sources said that the elder Sarmiento saw Jong lurking around his garage at about 1:30 am. The victim demanded Jong to explain why he was there, but the intruder did not bother to answer.

A heated argument ensued as the suspect fled the scene. A few minutes later, he returned accompained by the police officers and his brother. The four suspects confronted the Sarmientos in their garage.

Without warning, they pulled out their handguns and opened fire on the victims, hitting them in the different parts of the body. They only stopped shooting when they spotted some witnesses.

The victims were rushed to the hospital as responding policemen arrived. Follow-up operations were immediately conducted that led to the arrest of the suspects. It is still unclear why Jong was in Sarmiento’s garage at the time, police said. – Matthew Estabillo