3 suspected robbers slain in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Three unidentified men were slain in two separate shootouts with police officers in Manila Wednesday night.

Two of the men were reportedly “responsible for robbing a number of students of the De La Salle University (DLSU), most especially during nighttime,” Manila Police District director Chief Superintendent Alex Gutierrez told The STAR.

Malate police station chief Superintendent Ernesto Tendero Jr. and his men were on patrol along Taft Avenue when they were flagged down by a security guard and a 19-year-old DLSU student, who said she was robbed by two men on a tricycle (plate number OH-3896) while she was waiting for a ride.

The police spotted the tricycle at the corner of Kapitan Tikong and Singalong streets. The two men in the tricycle shot at the approaching lawmen, triggering a firefight in which they were killed.

Police recovered the victim’s shoulder bag and two handguns from the slain men, who were in their late 20s.

Three hours later, another suspected robber was killed when he reportedly shot it out with policemen in Binondo.

Police Officer 3 Christopher Blanco said a patrol team saw four men – all with no helmets – riding on two motorcycles without plate numbers. When the patrol team tried to accost them, one of the men started shooting.

One of the men was hit, and his companions abandoned him. A homemade .357 caliber revolver was recovered from the slain suspect.