V’zuela cop killed in payroll heist

A police officer was killed while his brother was critically wounded after four motorcycle-riding gunmen shot them during a payroll heist yesterday morning in Valenzuela City.

SPO1 Daniel Aguinaldo Jr., 48, assigned as court bailiff at the Valenzuela City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 82, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in the body.

His younger brother, Ronaldo, 47, of 237 Constantino street, Barangay Pasolo, Valenzuela City, is now confined at the Fatima General Hospital due to several gunshot wounds.

At around 9:40 a.m., the policeman was onboard a white Toyota Corolla (UHJ-402) driven by his younger brother and accompanying Liza Marcial, secretary of the family-owned AS Employment Agency, when they were waylaid by four men riding in tandem on two motorcycles.

The car was cruising along Tatalon street in Barangay Ugong on their way to the Steel Planet factory also in the area to deliver the money intended for the weekend salaries of the workers.

The motorcycle-riding suspects positioned themselves on both sides of the road, and as the target vehicle slowed down on the rough road, two of the suspects alighted from their respective motorcycles and simultaneously hit the windshield of the cop’s car with the butt of their guns.

After which, the suspects peppered the car with bullets, hitting the policeman and the driver. The secretary who was seated at the back escaped unharmed.

The suspects immediately divested the secretary of the two bags containing more than P200,000 in payroll money and fled on their motorcycles toward Quezon City.

A police dragnet failed to catch them.

The Valenzuela cop was rushed to the Valenzuela District Hospital for treatment but died along the way.

Police recovered at the crime scene six empty shells and a live bullet for a caliber. 45 pistol. Also recovered was a 9mm pistol with 12 bullets, which belong to the slain officer.

SPO4 Henry Marteja said Aguinaldo was ordered by his father, Daniel Sr., to accompany their secretary in delivering the payroll to at least three factories in the city after the older Aguinaldo himself fell victim to robbery in the past.

In Quezon City, a police officer of the Central Police District (CPD) is in critical condition after unidentified armed men suddenly opened fire at him the other night in EDSA.

PO2 Benjamin Ramirez, 30, detailed at the CPD-Station 5, and resident of 63-A Steve St., Bgy. Commonwealth, is recuperating at the Capitol Medical Center for sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in the body.

Initial investigation disclosed that Ramirez was at the corner of Quezon Avenue along EDSA near the 7-11 convenience store about 11:40 p.m. Friday, when bystanders suddenly heard gunshots.

Moments after, they saw Ramirez already lying on the pavement as suspects immediately escaped. – With Katherine Adraneda