3 thieves killed, 2 collared in Marikina

Police shot dead three members of a robbery gang, and arrested its leader and another member during a running gunbattle Tuesday in Marikina City.

Senior Superintendent Artemio Hicban, deputy district director for administration of the Eastern Police District said they have neutralized the Salvador Felipe gang tagged as responsible for the rash of robbery incidents in eastern Metro Manila and its nearby cities and municipalities. “We will not be lowering our guard against the gang because of our successful operation. Instead, we will continue pursuing them until they are all accounted for and put behind bars,” said Hicban during the presentation of the gang leader Salvador Felipe, 31, and another arrested gang member, Alwin Depano, 26, at the EPD headquarters annex building yesterday.

After several days of surveillance operation, two members of the gang, riding in tandem on a motorcycle with no license plate, were intercepted by a police team headed by Chief Inspector Matthe Aseo, chief of the EPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) along Dao St., Barangay Marikina Heights at about 9:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Instead of stopping, the two suspects pulled out their handguns and opened fire at the SWAT team, who immediately returned fire hitting the motorcycle driver. When the motorcycle fell on its side, the back rider ran toward a waiting Toyota FX van, and its driver immediately stepped on the gas.

However, Aseo radioed Senior Inspector Fidel Bernawi, headed a team from the District Mobile Force (DMF) who were also patrolling the area, for help.

Bernawi erected a blocking force and signaled the van to stop but four of its occupants alighted and ran towards different directions while firing their handguns at the DMF personnel.

A shootout ensued and after several minutes two of the robbers lay dead.

Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., Marikina City police chief said Felipe and Depano were cornered in a dark alley.

They surrendered peacefully.

At the height of the shootout, the FX van sporting a “for registration’ plate sped off toward unknown directions.

Ramos identified the slain robbers as Joel Montefalcon, his brother Joey and Jorge Pinon.

The Marikina City police chief said Joel Montefalcon is wanted for highway robbery and robbery-snatching; Joey for robbery and qualified theft, while Pinon for highway robbery, snatching and direct assault.

Felipe, Ramos said, is wanted for five robbery cases while Depano for theft. Ramos said they recovered from the suspects, three caliber .38 revolvers, a hand grenade and the motorcycle.

Hicban credited the neutralization of the gang to the Case Operation Plan (COMPLAN) codenamed “Black Widow’ prepared by Senior Superintendent Napoleon Villegas, chief of the EPD’s DMF.

Villegas managed to identify the eight-man robbery group and EPD director Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz earmarked a P160,000 funding for its implementation.