MANILA, Philippines - Two police officers were recommended for spot promotion for busting a robbery gang by killing two of its alleged leaders in Malabon City.
Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Ampil, city police officer-in-charge, said Police Officers 2 Manolito Asiodche and Mervin Medina were the key factors in “ending the nefarious activities” of the Sigue-Sigue Sputnik group reportedly headed by Noel Cabacang and Danilo Maglente.
The two policemen killed Cabacang and Maglente after they allegedly robbed Indian moneylenders Jiwan Pal Singh and Harji Pal Singh last week in Barangay Longos.
Cabacang was facing a murder case in Navotas for the killing of Rodolfo Pacheco last Oct. 23 and was the subject of three arrest warrants in Malabon – for robbery, illegal possession of a deadly weapon and concealing his true identity.
On Nov. 3, at around 10:30 a.m., Jiwan and Harji sought the police, claiming that at least three men on a motorcycle robbed them along Martiniko street in Barangay Longos.
Asiodche and his team chased the suspects and chanced upon Maglente and Cabacang escaping on a black motorcycle along Maya-Maya street in Barangay Longos. The other suspect was nowhere to be found.
Maglente, armed with a homemade pistol, fired at the police officers but missed. Asiodche fired back using an M-16 rifle. He hit Maglente twice in the chest, killing him on the spot.
Cabacang was arrested and he told the lawmen he would lead them to his group’s hideout in the middle of a fishpond in Barangay Dampalit.
But on the way to the gang’s lair, Cabacang reportedly grabbed the pistol of Chief Inspector Carlos Dilag, the city police intelligence chief, prompting Medina to shoot him once in the head. Cabacang died while on the way to the Malabon community hospital.