4 killed in Marikina checkpoint shootout

Four holdup men believed to be behind a recent rash of robberies in eastern Metro Manila were killed in a shootout with policemen manning a checkpoint in Marikina City yesterday.

One of the slain suspects, Emiliano Elalne, 49, of 42 Kamagong street, Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City, was identified through his driver’s license found in his wallet, Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., the city police chief, said.

Elalne and his companions sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot. Police recovered a 12-gauge shotgun, a caliber .38 revolver, a homemade caliber .38 revolver, two hand grenades, two fan knives and a clutch bag containing dried marijuana leaves.

Rojas said elements of the Police Community Precinct (PCP) in Barangay Concepcion Uno were alerted at 2 a.m. yesterday over the presence of armed men apparently casing a 24-hour convenience store.

Minutes later, a taxi driver reported that armed men tried to flag down his vehicle at a gasoline station near the store, but he ignored them.

Upon receiving the report, Chief Inspector Elmer Guevarra ordered the setting up of a checkpoint near headquarters. Officers were told to flag down all passing vehicles and conduct a routine check on all occupants.

Police said a Romcat taxi (PYE-832) refused to stop at the checkpoint and its occupants instead opened fire at the officers manning the checkpoint.

The cops fired back, and when the smoke cleared, all four occupants of the cab lay dead.

Rojas said Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), headed by Senior Inspector Cenon Manalo, retrieved from the scene two spent shells from a 12-gauge shotgun, nine spent shells from an Armalite rifle, a spent shell of a caliber .38 revolver and a slug.

Police are conducting a record check on the suspects, believed to be responsible for the rash of robbery cases in nearby subdivisions. "I’m appealing to all robbery victims to surface and identify the suspects," Rojas said in an interview.

When told that Elalne could have been just a taxi driver caught in the crossfire, Rojas said: "We cannot do anything about that if he chose to be in the company of holduppers."

Still, Rojas said he will look into the possibility that the cab was just commandeered by the suspects.

According to Rojas, Marikina City Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando congratulated him and his men for a job well done. "The good mayor encouraged us to further improve our campaign against criminality despite the success of our latest operation," Rojas said.

The shootout came on the heels of a two-day law enforcement seminar in Antipolo City, initiated by Fernando to help local policemen improve techniques and strategies in combating criminality, especially those involved in illegal drugs.