Chief Inspector Rodolfo Jaraza, head of the District Intelligence Division, said the shootout was a result of follow-up operations conducted by his men after continued activities by members of the Palakpak Gang in the area.
"This group was responsible for a series of armed robberies along Visayas, North Avenue and the Elliptical Circle," Jaraza told The STAR.
Members of the Palakpak Gang clap their hands as a signal to approach their intended victims.
Jaraza said at around 11 p.m. last Tuesday, he dispatched intelligence operatives to track down the suspects who were preying on commuters along Visayas Avenue.
When the operatives reached an area near a pre-school, they saw three men apparently waiting for their next robbery victim.
When accosted, the men pulled out guns and fired at the officers, triggering a brief firefight.
Two of the suspects were killed while one escaped. Police recovered two caliber .38 revolvers, cell phones and other items believed to part of the loot from an earlier robbery. — Perseus Echeminada